Retailers, manufacturers cautious on outlook under extended emergency

Stay at home but go to work if lucky to have work!

For those with no income what are the options?

Retailers, manufacturers cautious on outlook under extended emergency

I would also be cautious of behavior under mental duress such as the following:

He asked a woman to please put on a mask before coming in. She spit in his face, then came back later with her dad and shot him. "They said a man shot the 43-year-old security guard in the head near the doorway of the store before running off."

The lip service being paid to "small business" has nothing to do with the actual agenda. Which in the Japanese case is to force them into an untenable position of closing in an unenforced "lockdown" or stay in business with a dwindling number of customers hoping for assistancethat will be too late or never arrive. Then larger investors come in and scoop up the distressed properties, solving the problem for the government. A hard lesson in that the government is not for you.

They should be even more cautious about a full blown epidemic like that of Italy or the US. That will give them something to complain about.

Abe extends the state of emergency but at the same time relaxes some restrictions. That sends a mixed messsage.

Expect travel restrictions on countries like Japan and Sweden, which have taken a very different approach to the UK and US. I certainly wouldnt want my elderly family members to visit with corona virus potentially lurking all over the place. How can you think about reopening businesses when they have no idea about the actual number of cases. you dont have to hospitalise every case, but people need to know if they are a risk / at risk. I can picture Abe following all his big buddies around the world and start opening businesses, pretending like he has defeated the virus.

Expect travel restrictions on countries like Japan and Sweden, which have taken a very different approach to the UK and US.

And done a lot better.

A far as I am concerned, the number of tests is still too low compared to other countries.That does not worry them? They don't want to fix this in order to have some reliable data to base following steps on?

First they were only worried about the Olympics, now they only want to go back to normal, despite infection numbers not significantly changing. Altough I can understand it, maintaining the state of emergency, while initiating measures that go directly against it are undermining and contradicting.

No doubt the Japanese Government has failed in both testing and tracing - no need to discuss this on this threads. We all agree that has failed. But I do have to agree with Agent X here, and how when the Virus has been here since late January can people be comparing this to the US or Italy? I keep reading posts saying 'its coming' - 'we will be in a NYC situation this time next week' (4-5 weeks ago). Where is it? The unconfirmed cases are certainly out there but, and I apologize for being crude, or rude to those who have had family members who have succumbed to the virus, but where is the death? Where are the overwhelmed undertakers? The temporary morgues? I have no doubt there is great pressure on the hospitals that remain open here to treat patients, but as it stands this country is clearly not overwhelmed.

There is a definite argument for the re-opening of some ( actually more) retail/eateries come the end of the May, as long as the current situation stays stable. The loss of jobs will simply be too much to bear. Social distancing will have to be practiced/ I make no apology, I am not a #stayathome person. I'm also not going to spend my time in a busy shotengai or park with hundreds of others. But I was a in a well known restaurant for lunch on Sunday. They were full - but in a new 'full'. Tables for 2 were now tables that would have been for 4. Spacing outside was one empty table/one occupied table - the bar area was not used. There has to be a trade off somewhere between being sensible - keeping yourself safe and not letting the economy completely wither away. We must support out local businesses - and we must also encourage bigger business to protect employees and in a country where telework has NOT proved that successful - offer staggered hours to keep the crowding to an acceptable level.

The Governement has done an awful job - Period. But most people on this site are fairly intelligent and are quite capable of making calculated risks rather than being hysterical and demanding a complete lockdown, and demanding that the government house you, feed you and pay you. Its not realistic, its not going to happen.

I will make no judgement on travel restrictions - I believe that is going to be very different country to country and obviously will also depend on whether we, as foreigners are actually allowed to re-enter Japan anytime soon. Like Agent X above, I actually feel like I would be much more comfortable visiting Sweden and behaving responsibly, than visiting Italy (sad, as I love it) right now.

I would say that every country has its own strategy to combat the pandemic, but with due respect let us identify how this problem may ease our mind and the whole world. what is the best flat form that can be applied to resolve this problem. First discipline ourselves and never argue to the government, second follow what is necessary to obtain the solution by helping the government to remind our neighbors to follow the desired awareness and restriction. 3rd is never under estimate the severity of the CCP virus, no one knows who will be hit hard with this virus, so please help each other. God be with us

This is what happens when the government turns all decision making over to so called medical experts who are like "hammers" where everything is a "nail". Zero common sense. Zero awareness of the impact of lockdowns on the economy, people's mental health, people's personal lives. This will end in a huge disruption to the economy and people's wellbeing. The large corporations will survive but the family owned businesses will be crushed.

NHK (and other media) drone on every night about the Government saving the nation. However, there is virtually no effort to disclose material facts to the public. A true propaganda machine.

There don't seem to be any answers on NHK or any other major Japanese media. Not sure if that is because of malfeasance, misfeasance, nonfeasance or just bad reporting. However, I have found this site (I am not sure how up to date or accurate it is).

https://newsdigest.jp/pages/coronavirus/

This site shows the age demographics in Japan for (1) those with COVID19, and (2) deaths from COVID19? See the table "Cumulative Number of Infected People And Deaths by Age Group."

It indicates that nearly all deaths from COVID19 have occurred in the over 70 demographic with much fewer numbers in the 50 to 70 age range. While the number infected are occurring mainly in the 20 to 60 age range the highest mortality rate in that range is the 60 to 70 age range at 2.8% and those in the 50 to 60 age range at .7% The interesting unknown fact is the impact of testing or the lack of testing. If there were more testing at younger age levels, it's likely that the mortality rate would drop (since if you were dead, someone would likely be determining post mortem whether you had COVID19). to find a clear timeline for such infections and deaths?

But even this chart is insufficient.

It would also be important to know that with respect to active cases how many people (1) are hospitalized in ICU, (2) are on ventilators or similar machines, (3) simply hospitalized, (4) staying at designated hotels or quarantine, or (5) in quarantine at home. These are important statistics in making a determination as to extending the state of emergency and what parameters, if any, should apply to such extension.

I am certain this information is known at certain levels but I am appalled that it is not being disclosed to the public.

Historically, the purpose of quarantines is to separate the sick and infected from healthy people. Secondarily, quarantines are used to separate high risk people (whether by age or pre-existing conditions) from the healthy population. Complete lockdowns of an entire population have been extremely rare.

In any case, I hope that so called experts can make fact based decisions rather than CYA decisions necessarily taking into account the views of all "experts": medical, economic, workers, parents, etc.

my wife was refused entry into our local bakery in hayama because my 3 month old newborn wasn’t wearing a mask!

@Bernie - Although its obvious what you are referring to, can you please define the 'CCP Virus' I am no fan of Trump - Nor am I religious , so cannot ask 'God' to help me. Bit this kind of comment is unnecessary and would request the moderator to remove it. Your post is rambling and without meaning.

my wife was refused entry into our local bakery in hayama because my 3 month old newborn wasn’t wearing a mask!

Unbelievable. What a sad stance to take. Boogie man is gonna get ya, so gotta be unkind to babies in an attempt to evade the boogie man.

It would also be important to know that with respect to active cases how many people (1) are hospitalized in ICU, (2) are on ventilators or similar machines, 

Update info about these points is available below:

https://covid19.jsicm.org/

I also consider it as a crucial indicator. The nationwide trend is over the peak, going downward. The problem of critical equipment shortage also seems a bit relieved. For example, only 262 ventilators are currently used nationwide for seriously ill patients while more than 3,000 ventilators are said to be available whenever needed. The same is true for ECMO availability.

Meanwhile, I think that accumulative numbers in cases and deaths are not worth chasing if you are to fully understand the realtime situation. Active case numbers have always changed (ups by new entry; downs by recovery/discharge or death).

Cautious is an understatement... it's carnage out there. Anyone running a business is experiencing varying levels of difficulty - bricks & mortar establishments especially.

And whilst if you may still have a job, you're thinking you're safe... think again... there's a lot of interdependencies we're finding out these days... so for example ... investing in Bitcoin or other e-non tangibles may become hard-core folly - who will be left able to thrown money after something that doesn't exist!

Keep fit, avoid sick people, be able to work however you can in future. This is a War of survival . Damn those Commie Chinese!

investing in Bitcoin or other e-non tangibles may become hard-core folly - who will be left able to thrown money after something that doesn't exist!

Bitcoin exists, and it's price has jumped just in the past week alone.

The only way bitcoin disappears is if the internet collapses - IE the world infrastructure disappears. If that happens, we'll have a lot more to worry about on our plate than the price of bitcoin.