【明報專訊】Since the beginning of winter, China has seen a Whac-A-Mole pandemic situation. The COVID-19 virus is beyond the best preventive efforts. The mainland has a sophisticated set of tracking, screening, and isolation measures capable of controlling outbreaks one by one. Xi'an is the only city that has fallen and has thus been put in lockdown, which has lasted for 17 days now (10 January). The reason is that government officials have been insensible, sloppy and at a loss what to do next.