Japan to put Tokyo, 12 other prefectures under COVID quasi-emergency

I have a feeling many bars/restaurants will just ignore these requests - they need to make a living.

The designation will allow metropolitan and prefectural governors in Japan, which has never imposed a lockdown during the pandemic, to ask restaurants and bars to close early and stop or limit the serving of alcohol.

Japan has never imposed a lockdown and will never be able to do so. I have been explaining that to people for the past two years.

And asking restaurants and bars to close early and/or limiting the sales of alcohol is the only thing the government can do.

The compliance rate has been pretty low the last times and it will be further down this time.

Basically only eateries whose monthly turnover is less than 1M Yen will obey to receive the financial aid. All other places will stay open.

This is the most amazing display of scientific ignorance maybe I've ever seen by a government. Doing the same thing over and over again, not seeing any kind of result that would even warrant repeating the same action... seriously, do these people realize that it does not matter if a restaurant or bar serves alcohol or closes early... the moment somebody who is infected with COVID-19 enters one of these places and takes of his/her mask to eat and drink, the chance for infection is present. And this chance of infection is present from the moment the restaurant and bar opens up until the moment it closes. It has nothing to do with the time the restaurant closes. If you are allowing mask removal in a closed space, it does not matter if you are limited customers to four people or one... Covid is an airborne disease... just... really... for the love of all things scientifc... is there anybody in the J-government with a science degree that understands this basic common sense fact?????!!!

Alcohol and 8pm isn’t the issue- just the representation of the nonsensical point of it all.

of course can drink at home or at the park or outside combini. and of course can start eating or drinking early enough that 8pm feels like midnight because you started at lunch time.

time on the clock and alcohol don’t solve anything when people still cramming into public transport and working in full offices.

Under the quasi-emergency, prefectural governors can designate specific areas for measures against the virus and make their own decision on business hours or the serving of alcohol at local eateries.

It's off the mark. Amid the current wave, most infections occur at home and nursing/healthcare facilities, NOT in bars/restaurants under targeted areas. The majority testing positive are now kids and young adults who can't go out to drink alcohol at bars although the SOE aims to regulate alcohol serving.

It's silly that the latest decision has been made without referring to basic data. No brainer.

Keep doing the same thing over and over again, it will work eventually.

I think it's fair to say these people are fools, with no idea at all how anything works. Honestly, it just makes me sad.

"I think we don't need to have eateries close if people dine in a group of about four and speak quietly while wearing face masks," said Omi, who heads the subcommittee.

After wearing face masks outside 90 percent will take them off when sitting down to eat and drink. And that group of four will be sitting centimeters away five other groups of three or four in the narrow seating speaking over each other.

Why February 13th?

So shops and restaurants can cash in on Valentine's Day of course. Always about making a buck; never about saving lives.

The regular SoEs were useless. These quasi SoEs are beyond the realm of useless. Nobody's going to comply. Too little too late at this point.

Anon, hate to disappoint you but Chiba IS part of the QSOE

So what? If he lives in Chiba, he can go to a local bar there. I live in Kanagawa and I go to bars here.

Nobody cares about the measures. They only exist in people's heads.

correction my mistake, Chiba is closing restaurants early but they are NOT banning alcohol. Same for Saitama

Why February 13th

Because not only the virus stays dormant until 8 PM, it also waits for Japanese bureaucrats to finish up their paperwork and get their superiors' hanko like all the good citizens.

What is not in the news is the prefectures that have NOT asked for quasi emergencies because they have decided to do things differently and NOT ban alcohol and close bars and restaurant. Chiba is one and anyone from Tokyo can just go there if they want of course for a drink so businesses will probably get a boost as well as not being closed, The governor of Ehime said looking at the example of Hiroshima and Okinawa the measures do not work so he is not going to do it. Although along with the greater free testing that is happening when new record keep getting broken if they will hold their nerve,

We need to quickly prevent the spread of infections, given the potential for major strain on the medical system in the near future

So let’s do it tomorrow. The irony.

So is this the 8pm and no alcohol after 7pm version or the no alcohol at all version?

Keep doing the same thing over and over again, it will work eventually.

I don't know what you are expecting to work.

I think it's fair to say these people are fools, with no idea at all how anything works. Honestly, it just makes me sad.

Fools are people who follow orders without thinking if they make sense first. And yes, the widespread stupidity makes me feel sad, too.

The left hand doesn’t know what the right is doing. Que Benny Hill music!

This wave will not last long. Let’s focus on taking sensible precautions and encouraging people to live healthy lifestyles and not to become obese. These quasi measures are daft and a total waste of time.

The nationwide reproductive number has already been decreasing from its peak 5.77 (on Jan. 9) down to 2.49 (Jan. 17).

https://toyokeizai.net/sp/visual/tko/covid19/

The number will continue to fall naturally and independently of the imposition of SOE. The Omicron fall is quite sharp as seen in South Africa, UK or else. Yet due to some confounding effects, it may appears that the SOE is taking an effect. We should be able to stay smart, not to be fooled by populist politicians.

I feel safer.

The train has been really packed recently

I have decided to quasi-follow the directives of thise quasi-emergency. I will quasi-abstain from alcohol, especially around quasi-8pm or so

"This has been a fight against an unknown virus, but we hope to overcome this situation by preparing sufficiently without fearing excessively," said Prime Minister Fumio Kishida at a meeting of the government's COVID-19 task force.

How come that 2 years in, this virus is still "unknown"? Ridiculous.

Anon, hate to disappoint you but Chiba IS part of the QSOE

Here we go again.

So, if they get some compliance with SOE? Maybe there is some percentage of mitigation. I can’t believe it does nothing. Yes, plenty of ways to get Covid. But, less chance while drinking after 7pm?

"...On average it takes 7 to 15 hospital days to tread severe infections, and the majority of these infections require about 5 days in a hospital, butter be ready because it will get worse because most people are NOT taking this seriously..."

No Mark....it won't. This variant is less severe, the South African doctors who discovered it have been shouting it from the rooftops that while it is more infectious, it has less severe reactions.....this is evolutionary pressure in action.....but of course the 1st world knows best......lock down lock down lock down. People requiring hospitalisation are overwhelmingly those who are unvaccinated......I rolled up my sleeve, I have the 2 vaccines, I'll even take the 3rd.....but there is no way I'm stopping living my life. It is time to move on. Masks, shutdowns, quasi-emergencies.......waste of time and money.

I will be 100% ignoring these urges and seeking out bars which also do not comply with this groundhog day madness. I'm double jabbed (fully vaccinated) and so should be able to enjoy a beer in a bar in peace.

Tomorrow,I will be on the train.

It’s scary stuff!

On average it takes 7 to 15 hospital days to tread severe infections, and the majority of these infections require about 5 days in a hospital, butter be ready because it will get worse because most people are NOT taking this seriously.