One of the two dancers injured by a falling LED screen at a Mirror concert in Hong Kong has been discharged from hospital. The other remains in a critical condition.
Hong Kong authorities are now considering how to bend the city health regulations, which would normally require the overseas family of the still-critical dancer to endure a week of quarantine on arrival.
Authorities are also considering a temporary ban on concerts with large sets.
“One of the injured is staying in the intensive care unit in serious condition and underwent an operation [Friday]. Accompanied by his family, the other injured person in stable condition was discharged this afternoon,” the Hospital Authority said in a statement.
The government has not named the two dancers who were seriously hurt around 10.35pm local time on Thursday by the giant panel. However, local media has reported that Chang Tsz-fung, 29, was the person released from hospital and that Mo Lee Kai-yin, 27, remains in hospital.
Citing unnamed medical sources, the South China Morning Post reported that Mo underwent eight hours of surgery at the Queen Elizabeth hospital on Friday. His head and lungs were injured and his third and fourth cervical vertebrae were dislocated. If he does not respond to treatment, Mo could be significantly paralyzed.
“[Mo’s] family members [..] have already secured arrangements for their flight to Hong Kong and accommodation at a designated quarantine hotel. The [Health] bureau will provide assistance as far as possible in accordance with the existing mechanism, so that the family members can visit the patient at the hospital as soon as they have completed the necessary inbound quarantine procedures upon arrival in Hong Kong, including obtaining negative test results and quarantine orders,” a Health Bureau spokesman said in a statement. The spokesman said that people in quarantine may temporarily be allowed out to visit critically ill relatives, provided that they have supporting documents, such as a letter from the hospital.
On Saturday, Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Kevin Yeung, said that he may ask concert promoters to halt the use of elaborate sets while the government investigation into Thursday’s incident is ongoing.
“We know that there will be performances that are in the pipeline, so what we will do is the Leisure and Cultural Services Department will contact these venue hirers and discuss with them what their performances will be and what sort of special arrangements in terms of the stage and other facilities that they would be arranging,” Yeung said at a press briefing. Local media reported other remarks from the minister suggesting that he would temporarily ban large sets.
