DAB Lawmaker Who Met Xi Jinping Has Covid

DAB lawmaker Steven Ho said on Sunday he's tested positive for Covid-19 two days after meeting President Xi Jinping during the state leader's visit to Hong Kong.

The legislative councillor stood two rows behind the president when they took a group photo together in Wan Chai last Thursday.

Ho said he tested negative for Covid that day.

He said his test on July 1 was indeterminate, "with a low viral load that's extremely non-transmissible", and that he was confirmed with Covid on Saturday.

He said on social media he didn't attend the handover celebrations on Friday for the sake of public safety.

Ho said he feels fine now and is in isolation, and that he hopes to recover soon to continue serving the public and his agricultural and fisheries sector.

At a press briefing on Sunday, the Centre for Health Protection (CHP)'s Albert Au was asked whether Ho's infection brings any risks for Xi.

"Usually, for classification of close contact during contact tracing, we'll classify persons who had face-to-face, direct contact with another person without mask as close contacts, as well as their household contacts," he said.

When asked whether local officials have contacted their mainland counterparts about any infection risks, Au said they had always been in communication before the event, and he has nothing further to add.