【明報專訊】As the fourth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic worsens rapidly, the government has further tightened measures to fight the pandemic and society has to return to full battle mode seen during the third wave. At a time when Christmas is drawing near, no one would want to see the drastic tightening of social distancing measures. But given the latest major outbreak, trying all means to break the chains of infection must be the top priority. What should be done is unavoidable. Each of the four waves has its own characteristics but they also share something in common. Major outbreaks in the community of course stem from the loosened vigilance of some people and their failure to comply with anti-pandemic requirements strictly. Still, stigmatising an infection cluster or two does not help control the pandemic as soon as possible. At present, what Hong Kong needs to consider most is a way out of the pandemic cycle. If the authorities think universal mandatory virus testing is unfeasible, they should at least suggest something else. Only then will we know that the government's talk of "zero infection" is not an empty slogan but a goal that can be really fulfilled.