Hong Kong has been given almost no attention in analyses and/or projections of what might happen in China when Omicron breaks out. It should be. As you correctly point out, deaths from Covid in Hong Kong, which gave it the world’s highest fatality rate at one point, caused no outcry. Because? Three-fourths were over the age of 80. Only 4% of total deceased were under the age of 60, and nearly all of those had other underlying illnesses.

MOREOVER, when the fifth wave first hit Hong Kong, its elderly vaccination rate was around 25%. China’s is already at 86%.

Omicron is not the problem.