Frenchman in swine flu hotel gets birthday champagne

HONG KONG – A Frenchman quarantined in a Hong Kong hotel over swine flu fears celebrated his birthday in confinement Tuesday with champagne and wine courtesy of the French consulate.

The consulate sent the gifts to the unnamed visitor, who has been detained inside the Metropark hotel along with around 300 other guests and staff since last Friday.

Quarantine was ordered after a Mexican who stayed briefly in the hotel last week tested positive for the A(H1N1) virus.

"As one of our French citizens is celebrating his birthday at Metropark, the French consulate decided to offer some champagne and some French wine bottles," the consulate’s head of public affairs, Paule Ignatio, told AFP.

The consulate has also provided books, magazines and food for its nationals trapped in the hotel, and even a French caterer to dish up something special every day, Ignatio added.

David Mahiet, a 32-year-old Frenchman also confined to the hotel, said the chance to avoid meals imposed by the Hong Kong’s government health department was a blessing.

"For French people, this is very, very nice," Mahiet told the Wall Street Journal, adding that among the dishes sent in was poulet a la moutarde.

The quarantine, which was taken as a precautionary measure, is set to last until Friday evening.

AFP / Expatica