Hong Kong cabinet minister steps down over tapas party

HONG KONG: A Hong Kong cabinet minister resigned on Monday for attending a birthday party alongside dozens of officials and lawmakers just days after the city’s government called on people to avoid large gatherings to fight a coronavirus outbreak.

"I have today tendered my resignation to the Chief Executive and intend to leave the post today," Home Affairs Minister Caspar Tsui said in a statement. "As one of the Principal Officials taking the lead in the anti-epidemic fight, I have not set the best example during the recent outbreak," he added.

Tsui’s resignation is a blow to the administration of Chief Executive Carrie Lam whose time in office has been marked by huge pro-democracy protests and a subsequent crackdown on dissent that has transformed Hong Kong.

The January 3 birthday bash at a tapas restaurant for Witman Hung, a member of China’s top lawmaking body, became a source of embarrassment for Lam as her government pursues a strict "zero-Covid" policy similar to Beijing’s.