The city’s strict but successful “zero-Covid” policy had largely kept the virus out for months.

But when the highly transmissible Omicron variant broke through Hong Kong’s defences, authorities were caught flat-footed with a dangerously under-vaccinated population and few plans in place to deal with a mass outbreak.

The extremely contagious Omicron variant was first discovered within Hong Kong’s local community in late December — far later than much of the rest of the world.

Authorities reacted quickly — banning flights, forbidding gatherings of more than two, and launching a mass hamster cull after coronavirus-positive pet store rodents were discovered.

But these measures did little to curb Omicron’s spread.

As of Friday, Hong Kong had recorded more than 20,200 infections in less than two months — outstripping its cumulative two-year total of about 12,000.

City leader Carrie Lam admitted this week the fifth wave had “dealt a heavy blow”, and by Friday announced a postponement to the planned March selection of Hong Kong’s next chief executive.

Britain plans to set out plans next week to remove self-isolation requirements for people infected with Covid, a move that health experts think could be risky. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said in a statement that “Covid will not suddenly disappear, and we need to learn to live with this virus and continue to protect ourselves without restricting our freedoms.”

In England, currently, people are advised to isolate if they have Covid-19 symptoms or test positive. They are legally required to self-isolate for at least five days if instructed to by public health officials

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Lai and nine others were charged with incitement to take part in an unauthorized assembly, for their roles in a protest on October 1, 2019, when they walked down a road with thousands of others.

Lai, 73, was sentenced to 14 months in prison. He is currently serving a separate 14-month jail term for other convictions earlier this year also related to unauthorized rallies in 2019, when Hong Kong residents took to the streets in the biggest challenge to Beijing since the city was handed from British to Chinese control in 1997.

With the two sentences combined, Lai will serve a total of 20 months behind bars.

He is also being investigated under the city’s sweeping national security law, imposed last year, for colluding with foreign powers to intervene in the Hong Kong affairs.

Authorities have arrested and charged most of the city’s pro-democracy advocates, who also include Joshua Wong, a student leader during 2014 protests.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in a statement called on Hong Kong authorities to drop charges filed against people merely for standing for election or for expressing dissenting views.

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