Hong Kong (CNN)Two topHong KongEmployees inspectCovid-19Positive, it could undermine the possibility of China's leader Xi Jinping celebrating his 25th anniversary of his official visit to China next week.
Constitutional and mainland affairs secretary Eric Tsang and CEO Eric Tsang both tested positive for nucleic acids and were quarantined, a Hong Kong government statement said. Said on Thursday.
Their infection could bring state leaders to a celebration on July 1, including the pledge of a new leader in Hong Kong and the anniversary of the takeover from the British Raj in 1997. Raised concern about.
It also casts doubt on the robustness of the city's "closed loop" arrangement. This requires civil servants to avoid public involvement and enter quarantine before the planned ceremony.
As China sticks to the Byzantine approach of snap lockdown, mass testing and quarantine to maintain its Zero-COVID policy, Chinese authorities have taken special precautions to prevent the virus from being caught. It seems that they are taking it.
Xi has not left mainland China since the outbreak of the pandemic more than two years ago. And while it remains a tight secret whether he will attend the delivery ceremony, the Hong Kong government has a delegation of national leaders across the border with the mainland, which is still largely blocked. I started preparing to arrive.
Top Hong Kong officials entered the closed-loop system on Thursday. With this system, you can only move between your home and work by private car, and you have to spend the night at the quarantine hotel the night before your wedding anniversary. It is also subject to daily inspections of Covid-19.
"Tsang and Chan last went to work on June 22nd and June 20th, respectively. They wore masks and related illnesses, including rapid antigen testing performed daily. Following the precautionary measures, negative results were obtained. Recent travel history. "
The statement did not mention the symptoms of the two officials.
Chan will be the city's second official on July 1st, under the direction of the next Hong Kong leader, John Lee.
Despite high vaccination rates and a reduction in the overall number of cases, the Hong Kong government maintains strict social distance and contact tracking measures, as well as strict border restrictions, and has its own " We continue to work on "zero covid" style policies. Includes a 7-day hotel quarantine mandatory for all arrivals.
