The latest official epidemic data still do not give any clear signs that the epidemic is close to coming under control, the testing capacity is still inadequate and the various government pronouncements and measures show that it does not believe the epidemic is close to coming under control.

Here are the data as of 6PM Monday Beijing time, from Caixin:

40,261 confirmed cases in China;

909 deaths, including 871 in Hubei, 1 in Hong Kong and 1 in the Philippines;

23,589 suspected cases in China

Xi Jinping reappeared in official media as he went on an inspection tour of Beijing and then held a video conference with the teams on the frontlines in Wuhan. The report on Xi’s activities took up nearly the first 17 minutes of the the Monday CCTV Evening News.

Last week when rumors about an “absent Xi were flying I wrote:

I am not buying the rumors going around that he is sick or been removed in a coup, and I caution readers against putting much stock in those.

One of the key political tasks of all par…