Principal officials must take responsibility for their own behavior, former home affairs secretary Casper Tsui Ying-wai said, as he admitted his attendance at a 200-guest birthday party during mass Covid outbreaks has created "a bad impression,"

The 45-year-old Tsui - who was one of the SAR's youngest principal officials before he stepped down in the aftermath of the party-gate scandal in January - spoke of his resignation yesterday.

He was among the officials who had attended the Omicron-hit party of National People's Congress Hong Kong deputy Witman Hung Wai-man, when the city's fifth wave started.

Tsui said: "I had stayed [at the party] longer than I should and I could have done better."

"As a principal official, [I] should take responsibility for it," he said. "Principal officials should be whiter than white, and admit their wrongdoings if there are."

Tsui said he had contacted Hung after the scandal because he thought Hung was "also a victim in some way," and advised him to move on.

As a member of the city's biggest pro-establishment party Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, he said he wanted to continue to serve the community and "add value to the society."

Asked if he intends to run for the National People's Congress deputies election next month, Tsui said: "I don't have any special plans. But I'll be there when people ask me to help."

Tsui spoke out as Hong Kongsaw 4,988 infections - 4,593 local and 395 imported - and 13 deaths.

Three elderly homes and five disabled homes reported 14 infections and 85 were listed as close contacts. Three classes from three schools that saw outbreaks were asked to suspend face-to-face classes for a week.

From tomorrow, Hongkongers can make free Covid test bookings in advance on the LeaveHomeSafe app, the Health Bureau said.

Applicants are required to fill in their personal information on the app, which will generate a QR code that can save time at testing centers, and the code can be used for future tests as well.

"[The registration code] avoids repeated registration and waiting by the citizens for data input at every testing. This can shorten the time spent for the whole testing process and also minimize the contact of citizens with staff," the bureau said.

Tsui admits partygate responsibility