The bridegroom whose wedding banquet at the Grand Lisboa Palace in Cotai on 18 June sparked a citywide search after four guests tested positive for Covid-19 has spoken out for the first time.
Lei Seng Ion, who works in the public relations department at Studio City, hit back at rumours that senior government officials had attended his wedding celebrations.
Lei told The Macau Post Daily that only “one or two” government employees were present and they were neither legislators nor “high ranking officials” but only ordinary people working for the Judiciary Police (PJ).
Facing claims that the wedding banquet had 40 to 50 tables, Lei insisted there were only 33 tables, and fewer than 350 guests , adding that 350 was just a general number he gave to the police when he was informed that one of his guests had tested positive for Covid-19.
Lei said he had been unable to provide an exact number of guests to the police since some of them were the relatives or friends of some of the invited guests.
When asked about the details of the day when he was informed that he was a close contact of a confirmed Covid-19 patient, Lei said that on 19 June he was told by a friend that she had tested positive for the novel coronavirus, so she needed to submit his personal data to the government.
After all the information was submitted, Lei added, he was questioned and informed by the Health Bureau (SSM) that he needed to be quarantined on 20 June. Lei said he thought it was strange that initially his wife was not on the list of people who needed to be taken to a quarantine hotel.
Lei said that the SSM did not ask for the names of his wedding guests until 20 June, adding that he was asked about the personal data of his family and friends who were sitting near the confirmed patient that day. Afterwards, Lei said, the police also called him on the same day, asking for the same information. Lei said it took time to prepare the full list of names and phone numbers since some guests are not his friends or family members, while nowadays only a few people still use phone numbers to contact others.
On 22 June, Lei said, he was asked to submit the whole guest list and their personal data after four guests had tested positive for Covid-19, adding that he was told by PJ officers on that day that he only needed to submit the partial names of his guests, as there was no need for their full names.
Lei underlined that all the banquet’s guests, including himself, his friends and family members, have meanwhile been quarantined in the hotel.
