Chief Executive Lee Ka-chao returned to Hong Kong from his trip to Thailand and was diagnosed with COVID-19 in a nucleic acid test at the airport. He is currently in home isolation and working from home. He will attend meetings via video conference as needed and no acting arrangements are required. The Chief Executive’s Office quoted Li Jiachao yesterday as saying that he had a slight fever and a sore throat yesterday followingnoon, “generally the situation is OK”, and he has been prescribed oral medicine for the new crown. According to the data, within two days before the diagnosis, Li Jiachao “leaved the venue arm in arm” with President Xi Jinping, met with Thai Deputy Prime Minister Supatanapon, and Chinese Ambassador to Thailand Han Zhiqiang, and did not wear a mask for part of the trip.
Li Jiachao ended his first foreign trip following taking office the day before (20th), and the nucleic acid test result he received at the Hong Kong Airport in the evening was positive. When responding to media inquiries yesterday, the Chief Executive’s Office quoted Li Jiachao as thanking all sectors of society for their concern. Yesterday followingnoon, he had a slight fever and a sore throat.
Li Jiachao, who received the fourth dose of Sinovac’s new crown vaccine in September this year, will work from home during the quarantine period and attend meetings via video as needed. The government will not make acting appointments. As for the public events that he originally planned to attend in person, other officials will attend on his behalf or make other appropriate arrangements, including the presidium meeting of the Hong Kong People’s Congress Election held at the Convention and Exhibition Center yesterday morning. The Executive Council meeting today will be adjourned.
Visited Bangkok and met with many political and business leaders
Li Jiachao’s 4-day itinerary in Bangkok, Thailand, the rapid test results were all negative. Combining the press release of the government information department and the posts of Li Jiachao’s social networking site, he participated in many talks or meetings on Saturday and Sunday, and visited large enterprises in Bangkok, had breakfast in small shops in the city, and entertained Thai business circles and local business groups . On Saturday followingnoon, he left the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit with Xi Jinping arm in arm, and sent Xi Jinping to the plane, part of which he did not wear a mask.
The business delegation led by the government to visit Bangkok did not return to Hong Kong with the Chief Executive the day before yesterday. The Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Yau Ying-wah, said in Bangkok yesterday that all members of the delegation had a negative test result and complied with all epidemic prevention arrangements. Ho Pak Leung, director of the Center for Infection and Infectious Diseases at the University of Hong Kong, said on a radio program yesterday that it is difficult to judge when Li Jiachao was infected, but since the incubation period of Omicron is regarding 1 to 3 days, it is believed that he was infected during a foreign visit.
Close contact with two accompanying persons must be quarantined at home
The eight accompanying staff of the Chief Executive’s Office were assessed by the Center for Health Protection. Ye Wenjuan, the director of the Chief Executive’s Office, and Du Jieli, the Chief Executive’s personal secretary, were defined as close contacts because they removed their masks and participated in long-term meetings or shared meals with Li Jiachao. They are in home quarantine, and the remaining 6 staff members accompanying them are not defined as close contacts; the results of the nucleic acid test of the 8 people the night before and the quick test yesterday were all negative.
Li Jiachao is not the first high-ranking official to be infected with the virus while visiting a foreign country. When Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po went to the Middle East to promote Hong Kong at the end of last month, he removed his mask from time to time to introduce Hong Kong’s policies and advantages to officials from other countries. He was later diagnosed in Saudi Arabia and finally returned to Hong Kong in time to attend the International Financial Leaders Investment Summit. At that time, he was still tested positive at the airport, but he was defined as a non-infectious recovery case by the Center for Health Protection, which once aroused public discussion. The Ombudsman Zhao Huixian visited New Zealand and Azerbaijan on business last month and was also diagnosed following returning to Hong Kong.
Imported cases accounted for 614 new highs
In terms of the local epidemic situation, there were 7,286 new confirmed cases yesterday, of which 614 were imported cases, a record high since the outbreak. Eleven more patients aged between 60 and 94 died yesterday. Li Weihong, a member of the financial services sector of the Legislative Council, tested positive quickly and is now in home isolation. He attended the Legislative Council meeting last Thursday.
Originally published on AM730 https://www.am730.com.hk/Local/Li Jiachao was diagnosed following returning to Hong Kong from Thailand-Symptoms yesterday-Stop meeting today-APEC had contact with Xi Jinping/348954?utm_source=yahoorss&utm_medium=referral
