Why smog alerts were not heeded needs answering

SHENYANG, the capital of Liaoning province, Northeast China, has been suffering shockingly severe smog since Saturday. The average concentration of PM2.5, the fine particulates that are harmful to health, reached 1,155 micrograms per cubic meter in the urban area of the city, and in some parts the concentration was 1,400 micrograms per cubic meter. Comments:

The local government seemed unaware of the early warning signs and pre-warning alerts heralding dangerous air pollution, and even the social media notifications were delayed.

So what's the point of the warning system?