"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 prodemocracy protests and a subsequent crackdown on dissent that has transformed Hong Kong.

The Jan. 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.

The guest list emerged after health authorities traced an infected person to the party.

Among the more than 200 people present were over a dozen top officials — including the city's police, immigration and anticorruption chiefs — as well as 20 lawmakers.

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