Lying Covid patients should be prosecuted: expert

University of Hong Kong microbiologist Ho Pak-leung on Thursday called on the police to investigate whether several people infected with a mutated strain of Covid-19 deliberately concealed their movements around the territory, hampering efforts to trace close contacts.

A man who flew in from Dubai was found to be carrying a N501Y strain of coronavirus last month, the first case in the community. Three foreign domestic helpers living in different parts of the city were later found to be infected with the same strain, and authorities struggled to establish how they caught it.

After thousands of people living in the same buildings as the patients were sent into quarantine for 21 days, and all helpers in the city were ordered to take Covid tests, it emerged that the Dubai arrival and his girlfriend had met up with people who later came into contact with the infected helpers.

“I suspect they are lying. I think they government must handle it solemnly. It should refer the cases to the police to conduct a criminal investigation. If there’s enough evidence, they should be prosecuted,” Ho said on a radio programme.

“Otherwise, how could they answer to the public and the entire population of domestic helpers in Hong Kong?”

Meanwhile, Ho questioned whether it is really necessary to quarantine all residents of buildings where variant cases are found.

He suggested that those who have been fully vaccinated for at least 14 days or people who are not considered close contacts could be quarantined for seven days, rather than 21, and then be put under medical surveillance.