Japan in 7th coronavirus wave, but no restrictions needed: Omi

The goal is to learn to live with the virus and minimize complications or death.

I can’t do nothing, so I do nothing.

Just being considerate of others, as it has always been before the pandemic.

This is the first sensible thing Omi has said during the entire pandemic.

I absolutely agree!

I said that if everyone does what they can do, there is no need at this point to impose movement restrictions

I am very positive surprised to see him saying that.

It seems that he finally woke up and recognized the reality.

Not like many others...

Let's hope that he will stay awake and that he will not fall for all the fearmongering idiots, who are still spreading their fearmingering BS daily.

Let's all hope that he will not change his mind.

in the case of Japan the cooperation of the population with the personal measures (including vaccination) has a much more solid basis in science than some of the measures put forward by the government using who knows what basis.

Dude, it was so blatantly obvious from the previous commenter and the quotes from the article that they are talking about government-level measures like restrictions, NOT voluntary actions people can choose without being forced to.

You effectively dismiss any criticism of Covid era policies and then use it as an opportunity to push vaccination. The going rate for online Pfizer promotion is apparently pretty good, it seems.

virusrexToday  08:29 am JST

The measures taken during the pandemic are the cause we have been able to lower the risk from the infection so the measures can be reduced without causing a disproportionate increase of deaths.

I know you like to tout ”science” but just look at when most of the deaths have happened? In 2020? In 2021? In 2022? Yes, most deaths have occured after your so called ”measures”.

In the long run, countries with zero restrictions or ”measures” have a fared the best. Remember how everyone dissed Sweden in the early days? Not anymore.

Are you concerned that what you do is not the right thing?

Absolutely not!

I am concerned if Omi recommends another SOE and tougher restrictions again on Izakaya and borders, that many more of the small businesses will struggle again a lot and will go into bancruptcy.

That is my worry.

In my neighbourhood 3 Izakaya went into bancruptcy during the former SOEs.

And all three Izakaya were run by private persons. No big chain shops.

I do not want to see this situation again, just because some so called experts have zero understanding of REALITY and just follow blindly all fearmongering BS which are spreading day in day out by the Media and fearmongering idiots.

The whole world is moving forward now and understand, that we all have to live with that virus.

(Ok, probably not China).

But like I said yesterday in another thread:

If I see that people are worrying about increasing cases, even they are 2, 3 or 4 times vaccinated, proves clearly that these people do not trust the effectiveness of the vaccines. Because these people are thinking, if the cases are increasing, their safety comes under threat.

But why? It makes no sense because we are getting told every day, take the vaccine and you are safe!

Everywhere in the world the cases increases, and everywhere in the world people did what they were told to do: They took the vaccine to be safe.

So, anybody who is vaccinated doesn't need to worry about the increasing cases, right?

They are vaccinated and therefore they are safe! That is what everybody is saying!

So if people really believes that, they should not be worried about their safety if the cases increase.

Japan has a vaccination rate from over 80%.

That means people should be safe!

In other countries, even with a lower vaccination rate, people are moving forward with their lives.

No masks, no social distance...whatever.

Look at the Metallica concerts now. All over USA and all over Europe.

Look at their youtube videos and look at the crowds. Do you think anybody is worrying anymore about Corona?

So there are no restrictions anymore, because the people believe they are vaccinated 2, 3, 4x and they are safe!

But if Omi will implement again an SOE because just of increasing cases, there can be only one reason for that:

He do not believe or do not trust the effectiveness of the vaccine according the safety for the people.

The biggest question is, is he correct or not?

Therefore I said, let's hope that he will not change his mind, because if he implements a SOE again, just because of increasing cases, the hesitate against the vaccine will skyrocket, because people will wonder and question why we are all vaccinated?

And more and more Businesses will go into bancruptcy.

And this should be avoided.

New restrictions in movements implemented by the government will just make the people more angry, bring more businesses into bancruptcy.

And after the restrictions are lifted again, the cases will increase again.

Every single individual all over the world recognized that already, because that is the reality!

You do not need to be a scientist or an expert to recognize that.

But we, who are living in japan, and know how the japanese government is "working", and how stupid they sometimes are with their kind of actions, we always should be ready for the most ridiculous implementations.

This is the first sensible thing Omi has said during the entire pandemic.

In the long run, countries with zero restrictions or ”measures” have a fared the best. Remember how everyone dissed Sweden in the early days? Not anymore.

countries that took the pandemic seriously Japan Australia NZ, Singapore Korea etc

all average around 240~400 deaths per million. Sweden 1800/million. you can say whatever you want, but it really sucks when the actual statistics prove you wrong and hurt your feelings

https://www.statista.com/statistics/1104709/coronavirus-deaths-worldwide-per-million-inhabitants/

countries that took the pandemic seriously Japan Australia NZ, Singapore Korea etc

all average around 240~400 deaths per million. Sweden 1800/million. you can say whatever you want, but it really sucks when the actual statistics prove you wrong and hurt your feelings

https://www.statista.com/statistics/1104709/coronavirus-deaths-worldwide-per-million-inhabitants/

This is such an intellectually dishonest comparison for so many reasons. You can not effectively equate Japan's Covid approach to the others you mentioned.

Australia and New Zealand in particular imposed strict lockdowns and stay-at-home orders during the first year and a half, and after that, vaccine mandates until a few months ago. They shut down parks and beaches. Events were all basically cancelled. People had to work from home. They also closed schools. Even many US states like New York and California were much stricter than Japan as far as mandatory restrictions were concerned (though to little avail).

In comparison, Japan NEVER imposed strict lockdowns or stay-at-home orders. The very prospect of vaccine mandates were always laughed out the door by sane people here. They didn't shut down any public parks or beaches. Only some indoor events were cancelled. People worked at the office. And when Japan closed schools, it was only for short periods at a time.

The only thing Japan did was try to shut down drinking/dining after 8pm and banning foreigners from entering. And I am not about to listen to you try to explain to me that either of those were smart or effective measures.

We live with many corona viruses, this is just another. Remove the restrictive masks, smile again, talk freely and enjoy life.

Do what you like with masks and 3 c's and what have you, but for crying out loud, lift the stupid border restrictions! Completely useless!

My mum still cannot visit as she would be coming with her long term partner who is no relation, so he wouldn't be able to get a visa.

Still not allowed to leave the country for work reasons unless its unavoidable or an emergency at our institution.

And as for us residents travelling out of Japan - have you seen the cost of flights out of Japan lately? Because of the border restrictions, the number of international flights is still drastically reduced, driving ticket prices through the roof! Want to take a family of four on an international trip this summer? Well, unless you drive a Lamborghini, or brand new S-class and live in a 2 oku yen condo in Aoyama, you can probably forget about it!

And all for what? Probably as many as half the people here have already had COVID anyway! Most don't even know it!

Why doesn't he also recommend a healthy diet and exercise with zinc supplements for those most concerned?

Yes! They should be encouraging healthy diet and exercise (and adequate sleep) over the constant push to get the "vaccine". However, about zinc, I agree we should supplement but we must be careful not to mess up our zinc to copper ratio; apparently that can be a problem if you overdo the zinc supplements. I take zinc + quercitin regularly, and recently I also take an occasional copper tablet.

Math denial.

death per million from covid, countries that took covid seriously

Australia 274/million

Japan 233/mil

Singapore 234/mil

Korea 429/mil

NZ 127/mil

Sweden 1800\mil

yes I agree many people are in Math denial when they think 1800 is less than 429~127

countries that took the pandemic seriously Japan Australia NZ, Singapore Korea etc

all average around 240~400 deaths per million. Sweden 1800/million. you can say whatever you want, but it really sucks when the actual statistics prove you wrong and hurt your feelings

Missing from those statistics are those that died of poverty, suicide due to debt, business

failure etc resulting from the tough measures or lack of financial relief. What difference does it make dying

from covid or from poverty. At the going rate more people will die from poverty than from Covid-19.

Remove the restrictive masks, smile again, talk freely and enjoy life.

remove your mask if you want, dont tell anybody else what they want to do with their bodies, just remeber when you go into a business, their business their rules

the goverment does a lot of things, some based on the recommendations from health experts, some completely different.

Shigeru Omi is the health adviser and expert for the government.

Of course the government has the right to refuse his advises, what they did in case of the Olympics and the Go to travel campaign.

Which was correct, because the Olympics and the go to travel campaign did not end up in the big Corona Apocalypse as predicted by him.

And many people enjoyed the Olympics and the go to travel campaign..

So it was good that the government did not listen to his advises based on whatever. (at that time).

But closing the bars at 8pm and do not serve alcohol was advised and supported by Omi, because he probably thought that the virus will go to sleep after 8pm.

I wished that the government would ignore him again, but unfortunately in that case, the government listen to him.

But finally, there is a light in the tunnel now with his advises, by saying today, "no restrictions in movements are needed".

That is the first clever advise he gave since the beginning of the pandemic.

Because like I said in my upper post, it seems that he finally woke up and recognized the reality and make the judgement for his advises based on reality.

And this time, I hope that the government will listen to him.

But finally, there is a light in the tunnel now with his advises, by saying today, "no restrictions in movements are needed".

Omi said "*there is no need at this point to impose movement restrictions," *

Implies if situation worsens enough, he'll be sure to recommend movement restrictions

Yet another example of officials and scientists admitting any and all restrictions imposed before were nothing short of useless, and often disastrous.

Thank god we were spared the worst of it in Japan, but never let those who lobbied to shut down everything forget what they stood for.

Never let them forget they wanted to keep kids rotting at home and wanted latter day Jewish Ghettos for those who rightly declined the vax.

Never let them forget.

Yet another example of officials and scientists admitting any and all restrictions imposed before were nothing short of useless, and often disastrous.

On the opposite, measures taken are exactly the reasons why they eventually become less necessary, what is being proved is that the exaggeration of antiscientific propaganda that the measures would never end and would only become more and more strict were just that, exaggerations without any basis in reality.

On the opposite, measures taken are exactly the reasons why they eventually become less necessary

Oh yeh, because a lot of good came from restricting dining hours, or trying to close places that served alcohol. Also, do you have an actual study to suggest Japan's SoEs were actually effective? It seems pretty clear that was what the previous commenter was referring to.

what is being proved is that the exaggeration of antiscientific propaganda that the measures would never end and would only become more and more strict were just that, exaggerations without any basis in reality.

Many have essentially become permanent. Japanese children (a virtually Covid invincible demographic) are still wearing masks at school. People still cannot travel to Japan as tourists and for residents, returning to Japan remains tedious and burdensome. As late as earlier this year they were STILL doing the reduced dining hours thing. I remember in late February I couldn't eat at Hamazushi at 7:35PM in Shizuoka. IN SHIZUOKA. The fact that Omi is informing people that, for the time being there won't be new restrictions, goes to show that such possibilities are always looming. It should go without saying that these things won't be done again for any reason. Because the virus isn't some nocturnal entity that preys more on sinners in taverns as opposed to girls in cafes.

than some of the measures put forward by the government using who knows what basis.

The government uses the recommendation from one of your high admired expert as a basis: Shigeru Omi!

So it is clear now, that even you, do understand, that some of your so called experts are giving advices without any "basis".

Thanks for agreeing to what I am saying here since months!

Except for the restrictions of foreigners entering Japan.

WeiWeiToday  08:56 am JST

I know you like to tout ”science” but just look at when most of the deaths have happened? In 2020? In 2021? In 2022? Yes, most deaths have occured after your so called ”measures”.

In the long run, countries with zero restrictions or ”measures” have a fared the best. Remember how everyone dissed Sweden in the early days? Not anymore.

Excellent point.

Criticizing those for being "science deniers" while being a "math denier".

If I see that people are worrying about increasing cases, even they are 2, 3 or 4 times vaccinated, proves clearly that these people do not trust the effectiveness of the vaccines. Because these people are thinking, if the cases are increasing, their safety comes under threat.

Or more correctly rational people clearly understand vaccines have never been 100% effective (and that applies before the pandemic as well) so a higher number of cases means those that are vulnerable have still some risk, the same as in the usual influenza waves. Vaccination obviously reduces this risk importantly, but nothing that can practically be done reduces the risk to zero. So being rational they worry and take additional measures because they clearly understand the risk is not a 100% or else 0% thing.

Japan has a vaccination rate from over 80%.

That means people should be safe!

Since that is your personal idea that would mean you are demonstrating as false just that, your personal idea. We are still in the middle of the pandemic, with currently prevalent variants that make previous immunity (even from infection) less effective. So until the pandemic subsides the risk is there, much reduced thanks to vaccines and other measures but still there.

And after the restrictions are lifted again, the cases will increase again.

As long as the risk from covid is comparable with other diseases like influenza then that is a huge progress and would justify measures that are also comparable with what are taken for other diseases.

No, and the US, and the UK also rejected various "advice" from the WHO; and rightfully so, as they have actual global medical authorities.

Fact is, Japan rejected the WHO and did not restrict mask wearing to just hospitals.

You provide no reference to prove this, the same as you have refused to provide references for any scientific evidence that masks use by asymptomatic people in the street offered any benefit.

This is understandable, because there is no such evidence. On the opposite you have brought only articles that prove the CDC (and others) still recommended masks to be used first by hospitals, where they had evidence of benefit.

No, which is why the entire country was wearing masks everywhere from Jan. 2020.

Not by recommendation of any scientific or medical institution, which is the whole point. The whole scientific consensus was that masks were useful in hospitals, the opposite of what you mistakenly believe.

Japanese knew the function of mask wearing to prevent disease for over 100 years. 

Yes, for symptomatic people,

"but it was far more out of consideration of the people around them on the train or bus, especially if they had a cold or something similar," she said. "We see it as the considerate, polite thing to do."

and for reasons different from scientific evidence

Similarly, wearing a mask in public is a habit that has been widely practiced for over a century and appears to have its roots in religious festivals. 

as your own reference proves your whole argument is deeply incorrect. You have still not brought any reference where a scientific institution in Japan or anywhere else recommended general use of masks based on objective and validated scientific data, still zero references.

Math denial.

What math? you have provide no epidemiological data that proves delta and omicron are not the responsible for the increase of cases as the experts of the world coincide, you still have to prove them wrong, how can anybody be in denial of something you have not brought yet?

Shigeru Omi is the health adviser and expert for the government.

Of course the government has the right to refuse his advises, what they did in case of the Olympics and the Go to travel campaign.

So your comment saying all and every measure come from the recommendations of the public health experts are thus demonstrated false.

Which was correct, because the Olympics and the go to travel campaign did not end up in the big Corona Apocalypse as predicted by him.

Again, you keep attributing imaginary things to people that have never said it. The advice against it was based on the increase of risk, which is something that can be proved. The experts never predicted that an apocalypse would happen with the games or the campaing, Meanwhile an increase of case did follow the campaign.

But closing the bars at 8pm and do not serve alcohol was advised and supported by Omi, because he probably thought that the virus will go to sleep after 8pm.

Again, can you prove this is the case? how do you know this was not another time where the government did something different from what he advised. You keep assuming that what you think is true, even when proved differently.

That is the first clever advise he gave since the beginning of the pandemic.

Really? can you give a reference for this? he is on record saying the opposite.

And no, no "waking up" the change in recommendations come after evidence the situation is different, so different measures are necessary.

Your position is like someone saying a sick child should not get the antibiotics the doctor prescribed because they are bad for the kidneys, the child is treated and saved from the infection and the doctors says "there is no more need for antbiotics" so the critic says "see, they were useless from the beginning"

I know you like to tout ”science” but just look at when most of the deaths have happened? In 2020? In 2021? In 2022? Yes, most deaths have occured after your so called ”measures”.

WeiWei is correct.

Australia, for example had more covid deaths in the first quarter of 2022 the the entire 2 years before.

NZ, the great Golden Hope, this week has the highest new cases count of any country in the world. Hospitalizations and deaths are rising as well.

but no restrictions needed: Omi

Never needed them to begin with.

Japan in 7th coronavirus wave, but no restrictions needed: Omi

Thank god, some sanity returns.

In comparison, Japan NEVER imposed strict lockdowns or stay-at-home orders. The very prospect of vaccine mandates were always laughed out the door by sane people here.

Japan Australia NZ Korea and Singapore, all didnt have vaccine mandates except some countries requiring vaccines for people working in close contact with the public, all these countries had a high percentage 75% or higher of their population double vaccinated, they all did far better the the EU US UK and Canada even Sweden by a factor of 4~7 . look at the stats anyway you want, one thing you will find is that any 1st world country , (countries that have the money and resources to fight the pandemic) that were lax on their covid containment non of them rank in the top 20% of covid infections or deaths per capita. the stats clearly show a clear pattern

"funny" thing :UK @ 2634/million

Belgium@ 2735/ million France@ 2291/million

Higher than Sweden @1869 but they were committed to the "zero" covid policy....

oh dear statistics can be such a double edged sword....

The borders need to open again at pre-covid levels.

Maybe they'll do it when conditions return to precovid levels

I know you like to tout ”science” but just look at when most of the deaths have happened? In 2020? In 2021? In 2022? Yes, most deaths have occured after your so called ”measures”.

WeiWei is correct.

Australia, for example had more covid deaths in the first quarter of 2022 the the entire 2 years before.

NZ, the great Golden Hope, this week has the highest new cases count of any country in the world. Hospitalizations and deaths are rising as well.

Quite a few of you are not considering a very important factor. We have new more highly contagious subvariants of COVID such as Omicron BA.5 where the vaccines are not as effective in preventing infections. One vaccine cannot combat all future strains of the virus just like the flu vaccines. However, you are still better off getting vaccinated, wearing masks, washing your hands and socially distancing unless you want to be reliving this scenario ad infinitum.

virusrex

How come? the scientific and medical consensus of the world is that they are a very useful measure 

Oh spare us please. There is no "scientific and medical consensus of the world". There are different opinions by different individual experts and by different organizations. Assigning them rank based on some perceived value again is an individual decision. That is why various governments enacted different policies, ranging from draconian authoritarian control such as in Communist China and Australia to minimally invasive actions such as in Sweden. Pick which side you are on but stop claiming some perceived world authority.

Have to give credit to Japanese medical experts who threw aside the worthless advice the WHO was providing when that agency "advised" not to wear masks.

You praise the medical experts for an imaginary situation that never happened? because the WHO adviced for masks to be prioritized to hospitals, which is what the Japanese authorities did. Fully listening to what the WHO and every other scientific authority recommended at the time.

Seems the Japanese authorities were correct in rejecting the WHO's "evidence".

Well, that would be difficult because they did not. Until more evidence was available (and masks stopped being so difficult to find) they were directed to be used in hospitals.

I know you like to tout ”science” but just look at when most of the deaths have happened? In 2020? In 2021? In 2022? Yes, most deaths have occured after your so called ”measures”.

Loooking at the number of cases this trend began long before the measures were changed and predicably so because they were caused by the introduction of more transmissible variants, but even when the variants caused widespread transmission the deaths did not increase in the same way the rates of death by detected cases instead dropped and keep being much lower than 2020 and 2021. Abandoning measures that have no efficacy and replacing them with those with proved effect (like vaccination) is still the best approach according to science.

Ah I can feel the change in the language now the election is over! Give it a couple of weeks and the borders will start opening at a much faster pace! Time for the hypochondriacs to move back into the caves and the rest of us to remember what life was like before this madness began!

"I said that if everyone does what they can do, there is no need at this point to impose movement restrictions,"

Left unsaid obviously is if people don't do them there may be a need later to impose said restrictions

Wrong by all logic, so I disagree. Again no effective restrictions will just only stringently lead to the next and more intense infection waves.

Oh spare us please. There is no "scientific and medical consensus of the world". 

Really? then why don't you bring any respected institute of science or medicine that says masks and vaccines are useless? Any in the world.

None you can find? well, that is because there is a consensus. Even if you are not in capacity to accept it.

Sanjinosebleed...

"funny" thing :UK @ 2634/million

> Belgium@ 2735/ million France@ 2291/million

Higher than Sweden @1869 but they were committed to the "zero" covid policy....

oh dear statistics can be such a double edged sword....

I visited the UK 4 times in the last 2 years... There is a huge difference between government policy and what the general public actually do. Many in the UK were far from following government safety guidelines.

masterToday  04:16 pm JST

WeiWei is correct. 

Australia, for example had more covid deaths in the first quarter of 2022 the the entire 2 years before. 

NZ, the great Golden Hope, this week has the highest new cases count of any country in the world. Hospitalizations and deaths are rising as well.

Exactly--and New Zealand went into a recession earlier. For an island nation, with a low density populatioin, they really choked.

How come then you make no effort to refute the fact that Omicron is the obvious cause of the increase, not the change of approach?

And your source is . . .none.

Australia for example changed their policy and no increase of cases happened for almost half a year, then Omicron entered the country and in less than a month the number of cases exploded (fortunately the deaths only in a much smaller scale). 

Wrong. Australia's cases immediately skyrocketed, their economy is still suffering, and they have one of the highest infection rates in the world

Trying to ignore the huge role the Omicron variant have on this increase is obviously invalid. To say the measures are responsible you first need to discuss Omicron out.

Oh, I see your mistake--you think Omicron is a different disease than Covid.

The world has been forever changed, stop begging going back to "good old days", accept the new norm

WeiWei is correct.

How come then you make no effort to refute the fact that Omicron is the obvious cause of the increase, not the change of approach? Australia for example changed their policy and no increase of cases happened for almost half a year, then Omicron entered the country and in less than a month the number of cases exploded (fortunately the deaths only in a much smaller scale).

Trying to ignore the huge role the Omicron variant have on this increase is obviously invalid. To say the measures are responsible you first need to discuss Omicron out.

Another perfect proof, if it was the case again, that masks are totally useless and have zero effect in preventic the virus transmission.

How come? the scientific and medical consensus of the world is that they are a very useful measure that can reduce transmission effectively. Same happens with vaccines that greatly reduce the risk from the infection.

Nothing in the article could be used to "prove" the opposite. That would be an invalid misrepresentation.

Japan "has no doubt entered" a seventh wave of coronavirus infections though there is currently no need for new movement restrictions,

except of course for foreign visitors.

Dude, it was so blatantly obvious from the previous commenter and the quotes from the article that they are talking about government-level measures like restrictions, NOT voluntary actions people can choose without being forced to.

You were replying to my comment trying to misrepresent "effective measures" as equal to "everything the goverment did" which is not the case. The population is responsible for the efficacy of their personal care so it is perfectly fine to say measures were effective.

You effectively dismiss any criticism of Covid era policies and then use it as an opportunity to push vaccination. 

So when I say some of the measures put forward by the goverement were effectively baseless I am dismissing criticism? that makes no sense.

The government uses the recommendation from one of your high admired expert as a basis: Shigeru Omi!

No it does not, the goverment does a lot of things, some based on the recommendations from health experts, some completely different. Omi for example was against the Olympic games being held during an SoE, but obviously they happened.

So can you prove the irrational measures like the "Go to travel" campain were recommended by Omi?

Omicron BA.2.75 is coming this way. Stay safe.

This is the first sensible thing Omi has said during the entire pandemic.

It seems that he finally woke up and recognized the reality.

The measures taken during the pandemic are the cause we have been able to lower the risk from the infection so the measures can be reduced without causing a disproportionate increase of deaths.

Not listening to the people that endlessly called to ignore the science is precisely why we can relax measures now, while still listening to the scientific evidence.

People with an antiscientific bias frequently get surprised when following the recommendations have a positive result, systematically thinking the science is always wrong tend to have that effect.

Why doesn't he also recommend a healthy diet and exercise with zinc supplements for those most concerned?

Because he is talking about measures that have an impact on the risk of others, so they become necessary for certain activities. All that you mention (excpet zinc that is not necessary for anybody with adequate levels) have only an impact on personal health.

These 'experts' just swing from indifferent to totalitarian at the drop of a hat

Again, it must be really surprising for people that systematically oppose science to see how the decisions come always according to the available evidence, not as immutable orders from a figure of authority that decides things according to his personal opinion.

Oh yeh, because a lot of good came from restricting dining hours, or trying to close places that served alcohol.

Saying that measures were effective is not the same as saying all measures were so, in the case of Japan the cooperation of the population with the personal measures (including vaccination) has a much more solid basis in science than some of the measures put forward by the government using who knows what basis.

Many have essentially become permanent

Permanent? the pandemic has not even ended yet, how do you know these measures are permanent? the risk is not yet completely over, just reduced. And up until now many of the measures antiscientific groups claimed would be permanent have ended up being temporary, as rational people always knew, there is nothing that indicates those that you mention would remain indefinitely since the risk keeps getting lower.

Yes! They should be encouraging healthy diet and exercise (and adequate sleep) over the constant push to get the "vaccine"

The push is about a measure that affect other people and so it can be made a requirement for some activities, it not only decreases the risk of the person being vaccinated but it also helps decreasing the risk for others, so there is an extra value in promoting it.

oh dear statistics can be such a double edged sword....

Specially when misrepresented to invalidly make the cause-effect relationship the opposite of what it actually is. Countries with factors that made the pandemic a greater danger were also those that were forced to use the strongest measures, once that danger subsides (in part for those measures, in part for the very effective vaccination) then more relaxed measures can be put in order, there is no mystery, no conspiracy. Delta and specially Omicron make lockdowns terribly inefficient, vaccines make the infection much less risky. So

The Osaka prefectural government raised its alert level by one notch from "green" to "yellow" on the same day and asked nursing homes in the populous prefecture to refrain from allowing visitors for the time being,

Numbers go up- just change that cute color

DAAMEE! DAAMEE! Come on Nihon I thought you had it under controrru! I need to be able to go home so open uppu!!

You praise the medical experts for an imaginary situation that never happened? because the WHO adviced for masks to be prioritized to hospitals, which is what the Japanese authorities did. Fully listening to what the WHO and every other scientific authority recommended at the time.

No, and the US, and the UK also rejected various "advice" from the WHO; and rightfully so, as they have actual global medical authorities.

Fact is, Japan rejected the WHO and did not restrict mask wearing to just hospitals.

Well, that would be difficult because they did not. Until more evidence was available (and masks stopped being so difficult to find) they were directed to be used in hospitals.

No, which is why the entire country was wearing masks everywhere from Jan. 2020.

Japanese knew the function of mask wearing to prevent disease for over 100 years. To claim they did so without medical evidence is as silly as saying a medical study is needed before considering whether to use a tissue to blow your nose.

"The Spanish flu pandemic of 1918 was when people really realized the importance of wearing a mask, and ever since then we have just accepted it as a sensible precaution to take," Yoko Tsukamoto, a professor of infection control at the Health Sciences University of Hokkaido, told DW.

https://www.dw.com/en/how-japans-mask-culture-may-have-saved-lives-during-coronavirus/a-55321518

Loooking at the number of cases this trend began long before the measures were changed and predicably so because they were caused by the introduction of more transmissible variants, but even when the variants caused widespread transmission the deaths did not increase in the same way the rates of death by detected cases instead dropped and keep being much lower than 2020 and 2021. Abandoning measures that have no efficacy and replacing them with those with proved effect (like vaccination) is still the best approach according to science.

Math denial.

Shigeru Omi said the latest increase reflects the arrival of "a new wave" and is likely fueled by the spread of the BA.5 subvariant of the Omicron variant, which is said to be highly transmissible.

Up in the air if this is a medical decision or a political decision.

Again, it must be really surprising for people that systematically oppose science to see how the decisions come always according to the available evidence, not as immutable orders from a figure of authority that decides things according to his personal opinion.

Have to give credit to Japanese medical experts who threw aside the worthless advice the WHO was providing when that agency "advised" not to wear masks. Thanks to the widespread wearing of masks by the Japanese at the start of the pandemic, many lives were saved.

Seems the Japanese authorities were correct in rejecting the WHO's "evidence". Anyone who thinks "but that was the available evidence at the time" is a science denier.

https://edition.cnn.com/2020/03/30/world/coronavirus-who-masks-recommendation-trnd/index.html

"I said that if everyone does what they can do, there is no need at this point to impose movement restrictions," Omi said after meeting with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida at the premier's office.

The problem is that there are those in the marginalized minority of anti everything that truly won’t do anything… So Omi has a logical out here …. When only the majority of responsible people are doing what they can do …. And that 20 % clan of reality deniers can only whine …. The point will come to impose movements! Tighten the grip on the borders ….