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Two people tested positive for COVID-19 after attending a birthday party with over 150 people, requiring several Hong Kong officials and lawmakers to go into quarantine on Friday.
Health authorities said that roughly 170 guests who were at the party would be considered as close contact to the two people who tested positive.
Everyone who was at the party, including nine government officials and roughly 20 lawmakers, must undergo mandatory quarantine at a government facility.
Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam said she was disappointed in the officials who attended the large event and they weren't setting a good example for the rest of the public as the country struggles with an outbreak of the COVID-19 Omicron variant.
Authorities reported 33 cases of COVID-19 in Hong Kong on Friday.
Other areas of China are dealing with a higher surge of COVID-19 cases and remain under lockdown under a "zero-COVID strategy."
The city of Xi'an with 13 million people has been on lockdown since the end of December and more recently the city of Yuzhou with 1.2 million people was locked down Thursday after an increase in cases.
The World Health Organization reported on Thursday that a record 9.5 million COVID-19 cases were reported around the world last week.
Hong Kong has been racing to control the Omicron variant, with authorities locking down multiple residential buildings for mass testing and sending hundreds of people into quarantine.
"We now think that every person who had gone to the party is now a close contact. Therefore, our quarantine work is specifically aimed at the people who have attended the party," said Chuang Shuk-kwan, head of the communicable disease branch at the Center for Health Protection.
Local media, including the South China Morning Post, reported that the party was for Witman Hung, the principal liaison officer for Hong Kong at the Shenzhen Qianhai Authority, which oversees economic development between Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area.
The government officials at the party included Hong Kong Police Chief Raymond Siu, Home Affairs Minister Caspar Tsui and Director of Immigration Au Ka-wang.
Au apologized in a statement Friday, saying he would be more vigilant in the future.
"Regarding the additional burden to the epidemic prevention work and the disturbance to the public as a result of my personal behavior, I offer my sincere apology to all people of Hong Kong," he said.
Hong Kong tightened epidemic restrictions this week, banning dining-in at restaurants and eateries after 6 p.m. and ordering businesses such as museums, beauty salons and gyms to close for two weeks. The city has also banned passenger flights from eight countries, including the U.S. and Britain, from landing until at least January 21.
Authorities reported 33 new confirmed infections on Friday, 26 of which were imported. They also reported over 30 preliminary-positive cases.
The city has reported a total of 12,749 infections and 213 deaths.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
