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COVID quasi-emergency imposed on 3 prefectures hosting U.S. bases

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Nice deceptive headline!

Again Japan trying to misdirect and divert.

Even Okinawa isn't pointing the finger at the USA bases this time but at all the Japanese travelers that descended on the island for holiday.

5 ( +12 / -7 )

it is disappointing that US troops based in japan allow such lax Hygiene Protocols arriving without being subject to pre arrival and on arrival with follow up test and a 5 to 7 day isolation period. Shows that they don't care neither respect their host country instead of putting real stop gap measures in to prevent this kind of Virus spreading into the Okinawa community. But what you expect from a bunch of redneck hillbillies who think they joined the Marines and now they are something superior? Maybe Japan should even cancel the base station agreements altogether,?

1 ( +5 / -4 )

‘Believe’ @FYI 6:28pm is “Hard evidence”??. - Perhaps if YOU had “read the actively more closely…”:

*- “The governors of Okinawa, Yamaguchi and Hiroshima “believe” sharp increases in COVID-19 cases in their prefectures are connected to the spread of Omicron at U.S. military bases.”*

*- “Okinawa Gov. Denny Tamaki said there is "no doubt" that such facilities are one of the major factors,…*

*… while Yamaguchi Gov Tsugumasa Muraoka cited results of genomic analyses of virus samples taken from “U.S. base workers and residents.” -*

Does this mean “U.S. Army” only as @Monty claimed or, are there also J nationals and residents working on base included in the aforementioned samples ?

Plus, it’s You, @FYI who added: “It was a direct match.” …

not the governors nor the writer.

Prime Minister Kishida himself admits:

- “It's difficult at this point to identify the cause and routes of spreading infections" in the prefectures, he told reporters on Thurs.

I stand by my earlier observation: [“Sure, @Monty. Let’s just blame the American ‘boogeymen’.]”

without taking into consideration there are other factors at play in the three prefectures.

- @FYI 6:28pm: If you read the article more closely, you'll see that the blame is based on hard evidence.

The source of the spread is based on results of genomic analyses of virus samples taken from U.S. base workers and residents. It was a direct match.

Yes, there was 1 case of a Japanese guy in Tokyo, but that's nothing in comparison to hundred upon hundreds of cases from the US bases.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

“The point is not even the 'rona or omicron I couldn't care less about it. The problem is them having a different set of rules, like coming and going out of Japan without quarantine like the rest of us. Being able to get in and out their base as they please and causing troubles to the locals, in this case it was corona but it can apply to all the annoyances they normally cause”

EL Rata not true at all. I can’t speak for Okinawa bases they really seem to have screwed up. Here on main land, at most bases we are tested before flying, upon landing, at base and then can’t leave base for 14 days regardless of a negative Covid test during that 14 days.

7 ( +7 / -0 )

Actually US soldiers are supposed to not leave the base.

-8 ( +1 / -9 )

You can't conveniently try to "forget" something that is currently happening and will continue to happen. If your wife is scolding you and you say "la, la, la" to her, it'll lead to a breakdown of your marriage. In the case of covid, it'll lead to people dying.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Monty you wrote these

Jan. 3  08:58 am JSTPosted in: Do you think the world will be rid of COVID and all its variants this year?  See in context

This thing will never ends.

But soon people are getting tired of it, and it will be forgotten.

But the media and the vaccine industry will keep this thing alive as long as possible to keep their business running.

I bet the US force there have the similar views. They are really tired of covid and are doing their best to forget it. They know the bloody media and the vaccine industry are evil. I believe you should back them up. Don't you agree?

5 ( +8 / -3 )

@ El Rata I have seen empty shelves on bases when ports are shut down during golden week and New Years. Many of us are actually triple vaccinated and don’t travel for fun to keep our exposure down.

6 ( +8 / -2 )

I’m vaccinated. Would have done it regardless. But my biggest motivating factor in getting vaccinated and navigating all the Japanese red tape was my naive belief that once I did so, I could stop wearing masks. How wrong I was. It basically seems we back to square one and the vaccines were pointless if they will not protect against new variety’s which seem to pop up every six months like clockwork

5 ( +7 / -2 )

@justasking

Just compare the number people in Tokyo and the number in Okinawa.

Kishida is getting to the bottom of things.

-4 ( +5 / -9 )

Wow, Japan is really scapegoating in this latest wave.

Tokyo has the second biggest number of cases. Why isn’t there an SOE in Tokyo? This PM is really the worst.

1 ( +10 / -9 )

They can call it a "quasi-state" of whatever, but so long as it is not a full state of emergency, WITH ENFORCEMENT, it means less than the paper it'll have to be faxed and hankoed on.

3 ( +9 / -6 )

Point being ?..you really think bases are the only routes that Omicron got through ?

The point is not even the 'rona or omicron I couldn't care less about it. The problem is them having a different set of rules, like coming and going out of Japan without quarantine like the rest of us. Being able to get in and out their base as they please and causing troubles to the locals, in this case it was corona but it can apply to all the annoyances they normally cause.

-4 ( +7 / -11 )

Yet you wants the US bases in Japan to be put under lockdown? Why?

Because they are responsible for this!

And especially because of their bad behaviour as guests in this country.

Coming into japan without any tests and walk freely around Okinawa is absolutel irresponsible and respectless towards the Okinawan population.

And they should pay compensation money for all the buisnesses which will struggle because of them.

-4 ( +10 / -14 )

Omicron is so contagious that one case only can easily contaminate whole Japan.

And don't tell me, again, that Japanese are naturally immune to a new variant.

It is not a problem about "if" but about "when".

No change in the consequences.

Japan will undergo a new wave like any country.

10 ( +15 / -5 )

Lock down the US bases.

Don't let them out!

Thanks to the US army, Okinawa is now in a big mess and the population of Okinawa are struggling now with the consequences of the bad behaviour of the US army.

Monty. You are so against governments implementing lockdowns, especially down under here. Yet you wants the US bases in Japan to be put under lockdown? Why?

9 ( +12 / -3 )

Sure, @Monty 5:02pm - Let’s just blame the American ‘boogeymen”? - As @Reckless pointed out just yesterday, how do they explain the current surges in Tokyo & Osaka?:

*- @Reckless Jan. 6 5:14 pm**: “Is there a US military base in Tokyo? Otherwise what could explain the explosion in cases?” - https://japantoday.com/category/national/Tokyo-reports-641-new-coronavirus-cases*

1 ( +8 / -7 )

Leaving cars? Seems they are not containing as asked for, but the opposite, further distribution. Unbelievable.

-5 ( +0 / -5 )

You have a point *@marcelito 6:05pm***. *The story Dec 17, 2021 was initially headlined as “arrival from the U.S.” *but turned out to be a J national who hosted a boyfriend immediately upon return the Japan and he spread it to family and his soccer team:

Dec 17, 2021 - “https://japantoday.com/category/national/tokyo-finds-omicron-case-in-us-arrival-isolating-at-home”

7 ( +12 / -5 )

Wouldn't it be easy just to put some prefectural police cars blocking all gates and access points of the bases and just arrest everyone with a "Y" plated car trying to get out. I mean these people have everything they need, parks, schools and hospitals all in-base, why are they even allowed to be out in normal circumstances?

2 ( +12 / -10 )

U.S. Forces, Japan could have been lot more vigilant.

A tad to little, and to late

https://www.usfj.mil/COVID-19-Information/

"It's difficult at this point to identify the cause and routes of spreading infections" in the prefectures, he (Prime Minister Fumio Kishida) told  reporters on Thursday.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has been left out in the cold/loop, and that means the People of Japan.

All deserve better, and more respect

2 ( +7 / -5 )

Gotta blame it on someone else as always. Soon Osaka and other prefectures will follow until it’s nationwide again.

7 ( +16 / -9 )

What was the point to get vaccinated?

This is the one million dollar question.

But I am sure there are a lot of experts around who can answer you with data.

-9 ( +6 / -15 )

I keep asking myself, with 81% fully vaccinated how can we have another emergency? Yeh virus will never go away and we will have to live with it. So get boosters going (laughable 0,5%!!!!!) and let the people make money to pay for a living. I’m really angry now. What was the point to get vaccinated?!!!! Yes we keep attention, disinfect, wear masks but honestly we have to live with this!

10 ( +19 / -9 )

"It's difficult at this point to identify the cause and routes of spreading infections" in the prefectures, he told reporters on Thursday.

Really?

Kishida is a window cleaner or the PM of Japan?

What a weak kneed wobbler he is....

-1 ( +6 / -7 )

What does a quasi emergency mean? How many cases does it take for a quasi emergency to become a full emergency whatever that is called? It is clear Osaka and Tokyo and many other places will become quasi emergencies soon, even by next week. Why not be proactive for a change rather than wait till things are worse?

1 ( +9 / -8 )

From January 31? Is that a quasi date too?

5 ( +12 / -7 )

Lock down the US bases.

Don't let them out!

Thanks to the US army, Okinawa is now in a big mess and the population of Okinawa are struggling now with the consequences of the bad behaviour of the US army.

-1 ( +27 / -28 )

Seems so long ago, forgotten what effect exactly “Quasi” has on controlling the spread of Covid ?

2 ( +10 / -8 )

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