- Two ex-flight attendants were arrested and charged with breaching Hong Kong's COVID-19 rules.
- Carrie Lam said in a press briefing the pair are former Cathay crew, The Guardian reported.
- They carried out "unnecessary activities" during medical surveillance, per a government press release.
Hong Kong police on Monday arrested two former flight attendants and charged them with breaching the city's COVID-19 rules, according to a government press release.
The two people, who were crew members at the time, traveled from the US to Hong Kong on December 24 and 25 respectively, the press release said.
While the press release did not specify the airline involved, Hong Kong's Chief Executive Carrie Lam said in a press briefing on Tuesday that the two people were former staff at Cathay Pacific, The Guardian reported.
They carried out "unnecessary activities" while under medical surveillance days later, the press release said.
The pair then tested positive for the Omicron coronavirus variant and were discharged from hospital after treatment, according to the press release.
It comes after Cathay said in January that it had fired two of its crew members for breaching medical surveillance rules after testing positive for COVID-19, Reuters reported.
Lam said there was evidence that the former crew members violated the regulations, per The Guardian.
"These two individuals are no longer employed by Cathay Pacific," a spokesperson for the airline told Insider.
"Cathay Pacific is acutely aware of the critical importance of complying with anti-pandemic measures both in Hong Kong and overseas," the spokesperson said.
The two ex-flight attendants have been released on bail but will appear in court on February 9, the government press release said.
They could face a fine of up to HK$5,000 ($642) and up to six months in prison if they're convicted, per the government's press release.
Hong Kong, which has a "zero-COVID" strategy, has enforced strict immigration and quarantine rules.
The government announced in mid-December that travelers arriving in Hong Kong from the US must stay in a government quarantine camp for seven days.