Addressing Wednesday’s press conference about Macao’s novel coronavirus situation, Lei Tak Fai, who heads the Public Relations Division of the Public Security Police (PSP), announced that two Hong Kong men who were undergoing their 14-day quarantine at the Sheraton Grand hotel in Cotai left their respective guestrooms for a chat in the corridor on Sunday – thereby breaching Macao’s official quarantine rules, adding that the case has been transferred to the Public Prosecution Office (MP) for further investigation.
Both face up to six months behind bars.
Lei identified the two men as a 22-year-old surnamed Lai and a 32-year-old surnamed Fong. They are cousins.
According to Lei, the two men, who both started their 14-day medical observation at the hotel on 23 July, were discovered by a security guard shortly after 7 pm on Sunday chatting in the corridor after having left their respective guestrooms.
Lei said that the police have concluded that the two men have breached the Law on the Prevention, Control and Treatment of Infectious Diseases and therefore decided to transfer the case to the Public Prosecution Office. The authorities have meanwhile imposed “mandatory quarantine” on the duo, Lei said.
Lei urged those who are undergoing quarantine to always obey the Macao government’s COVID-19 prevention measures and not to take risks by expecting that they won’t be caught. Lei underlined that according to the Law on the Prevention, Control and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, those found to have breached the official quarantine rules will be held criminally responsible and face a prison term of up to six months.
According to previous government announcements, the two Hong Kong men’s case came after a 40-year-old Hong Kong woman who was undergoing her 14-day quarantine also at the Sheraton Grand hotel left her guestroom on the 10th floor on Tuesday last week and went up to the 15th floor by walking up the stairs. The woman got daily necessities from another woman outside the latter’s guestroom on the 15th floor. The incident was discovered by a security guard on patrol, who then escorted the 40-year-old woman back to her guestroom on the 10th floor. The woman who was undergoing quarantine on the 15th floor did not leave her guestroom when she was handing the items to the 40-year-old woman, whose case has also been transferred to the Public Prosecution Office for further investigation.
(The Macau Post Daily/Macau News)
PHOTO © Macau Daily Times
