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Suga apologizes as gov't extends Tokyo area state of emergency to March 21

24 Comments
By Kiyoshi Takenaka

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24 Comments
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Does not matter to us as we are still booked for a four night tour of Shikoku.

Sure wish they would bring back go to travel. It really helps hotels, travel business adventures and mom and pop stores with restaurants.

-20 ( +5 / -25 )

stay below 140 on a weekly average basis

Hmmm...the situation in Tokyo is getting better day by day, but stay below 140 cases weekly average seems difficult for me.

Probably after the whole population has received the vaccine, we can focus on 140 cases weekly average.

But currently the situation is that cases will fall, cases will rise, fall again, rise again...until the vaccine is roll out to the whole population, this situation will go on and on.

3 ( +8 / -5 )

The Tokyo metropolitan government is considering setting a criteria that new daily infections stay below 140 on a weekly average basis, to lift the state of emergency, the Nikkei reported.

Is this doable? They should increase subsidies also as this could entail prolonged SOEs

4 ( +4 / -0 )

@Month: But the herd will fill in the gaps and then eventually the vaccine will no longer be needed for the masses. Do you think so? Hope your windows open on that bad commute you had today. Getting warm. I walk the trains and open all windows wearing plastic gloves. Nobody gets angry at all.

could not open windows on the exe romance car today but at KataseEnoshima only six people got off the train.

-9 ( +3 / -12 )

@Sandy

I walk the trains and open all windows wearing plastic gloves. Nobody gets angry at all.

Yes I have a similar experience. Nobody gets angry at all.

I talked to a japanese couple a few days ago, who are standing behind me in the line at a coffee shop, and they were talking to each other with masks under their chins. So I asked them to please wear the masks properly over mouth and nose.

And they apologized a lot to me. Not angry at all.

But I am surprised that you use plastic gloves. Very good! But I don't do that. I use a lot of hand sanitizers but no plastic gloves.

About herd immunity and vaccines...hmmm...to be honest to you, I am a pro vaxer and I trust more in vaccines than in herd immunity.

But I hope you are correct, and herd immunity can stop the "Hype" about necessity of the vaccine.

-15 ( +3 / -18 )

@Monty. I have a big box of gloves as I love playing with ManicPanic dyes, so not a problem throwing gloves in the backpack. I carry hand sanitizer as well, as those train straps are not clean at all after commuters get on and off.

I have asked people too close also to step back and pull up the masks and they are humble and 100% polite.

I am pro faxed as well. I trust I both the herd and vaccines. But with the lethargic slow movement here, perhaps the herd will beat the vaccinated

-4 ( +4 / -8 )

I never wear a mask when I am outside and anyone never said nothing to me.

-1 ( +8 / -9 )

That pesky virus - stays out of sight until 20:00, so you can eat, drink and party 'safely' until 19:59.

Still, the restaurants, cafes and bars can open for business for most of the day, and receive subsidies.

A lot of business can't do anything, and receive little to nothing to help them.

6 ( +8 / -2 )

@cognac

I never wear a mask when I am outside and anyone never said nothing to me.

You are lucky that you do not yet meet me! LOL

-6 ( +6 / -12 )

It is true that the SOE has reduced the number of community transmissions in Tokyo. However, with 200-300 new cases daily it is still not enough to effectively stop the spread of this virus. Extending the SOE is not going to do very much. Once it is lifted it is extremely probable the numbers of community transmissions will skyrocket to a few thousand a day as they were before the SOE.

1 ( +4 / -3 )

So cautious with the soft lockdown yet still ok to let 20,000+ people in from every single country on the planet with every possible variant currently in circulation on the planet later this year.

Ironically the only people I see breaking the mask etiquette are foreigners who travelled here to evade the rules and the ojisan we are supposed to be protecting (who ironically reject the idea of a vaccine too according to the recent post by JT).

Given that the UK learned this week that they will be paying their highest taxes since the 1960s for the foreseeable future to pay for their bailout/restrictions, it seems we need a serious rethink if our current strategy.

7 ( +7 / -0 )

And all those unvaccinated foreigners coming for the Olympics and adamantly fighting about civil rights and not needing masks? So bad. Just so bad.

Just open up all trains and demand nobody is allowed to wear a mask when the VIP and athletes and trainers come over.

-6 ( +1 / -7 )

Only lift unless it's under a 140? Draconian much??

Looks look we'll be living in a SOE for the next year plus ppl.

2 ( +5 / -3 )

140.... I guess 200 was too close to the current level. 150 seems like a made up number.... 140, now that sounds like it's based on something more than a government stooge pulling a number out of his rear end! Let's go with that.

7 ( +9 / -2 )

Same as you Cognac, never had any problems, even when inside.

You are lucky that you do not yet meet me! LOL

You are lucky to be in Japan, not getting an agressive reply.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

The government had an early-morning meeting with advisers and they approved the extension

So some nameless advisers are approving things, and the government does whatever they direct?

3 ( +3 / -0 )

We are suffering outside Japan waiting to get our jobs in Japan

Entry ban is still not allowed, even with multiple PCR checks and 14 days self-isolation

we are still cross fingers and waiting the approval to travel

2 ( +2 / -0 )

As an International student who should come to Japan to study and hopefully graduate, I can't understand why even with 14-days self quarantine and PCR test before and after leaving we can't come to Japan. Our future depends on it, and I understand the need of safety of japanese people, but we should be super-checked!! (A lot more than locals)

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Madness, open up the economy now before more businesses go bankrupt, more suicide, more depression, more DV, more divorces...........

0 ( +2 / -2 )

The clever virus can tell the time and distance!

2 ( +2 / -0 )

@ Matt Carter,

The madness is in the continued innability to learn. To take the obvious actions that need to be taken, and to commit to compensation in order to take the correct actions.

You can see the fevered desperation growing in the eyes of the 'leaders' here in HD on TV tonight. Suga all shifty eyed and barely holding back panic.

The slow, dribbling economic death spiral they have chosen and are obviously unable to evolve from is the source of the problem.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

No, Suga is unruly shiftless guy.

He just shows only a facade to us .

Stillness before Olympic bubble floats any ominous presentment .

No longer happens Shindig like previous time .

0 ( +0 / -0 )

wanderlust

That pesky virus - stays out of sight until 20:00, so you can eat, drink and party 'safely' until 19:59.

Yeah, it is a smart virus. It viciously springs into action at 20:00 or whatever other time the government decides. Law-abiding too, apparently.

Also, apparently it gets ejected via normal breathing through the nose, which is directed downward by nature. But if you put one of these face shields that does not happen any more. Have we ever heard of such an intelligent virus?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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