Japan to expand state of emergency to 8 more prefectures

Contradiction: The government placing a huge sign in front of Tokyo Station urging people to stay home while that same government has its Blue Impulse aerobatic team conduct a flyover above the station on August 24 to generate excitement for the Paralympics.

foot traffic in crowded areas to be cut by half, and for firms to have employees work from home and cut commuters by 70 percent.

Cut commuters by 70 percent?

According to my personal experience every morning and evening in the trains, the cut is currently by 0%.

Foot traffic in crowded areas?

According to my personal experience every morning and evening in Shinjuku, Shibuya and Ikebukuro stations, the cut is currently 0%.

As long as the 1930s brain stucked company managers don't wake up from their 100 years sleep, and let the people, who can, go to home office, nothing will change according this.

Securing hospital beds and temporary medical facilities - who can be impressed when this should have happened 15 month’s ago

meanwhile, Onjuku (in Chiba-ken) which is and has been under the SOE, has decided to close its waterpark 6 days early, in the interests of Covid-safety..... even though families have been shouting and frolicking for several weeks, the beach meanwhile being 'closed'.

interestingly, since the beach 'closed', people have been self-distancing, stringing themselves out along the shore, rather than being jammed together in a small "safe" cordoned-off area (of sand and water).... with such random and conflicting 'rules', no wonder some people are ignoring the SOE......

Under the state of emergency, restaurants are asked not to serve alcohol or offer karaoke, and instructed to close by 8 p.m. Major commercial facilities including department stores and shopping malls are asked to limit the number of customers allowed in at the same time.

Suga has also called on foot traffic in crowded areas to be cut by half

We should ask to this senile PM how about overcrowded trains and subways.

Covid will be a danger in department stores but will avoid transportation?

What a crock of ...

There has always been only one way out of this pandemic: immunity. Vaccines offer an alternative to populations building natural immunity, which comes with a huge death rate.

Forced social engineering, in the long run, clearly doesn't work, as the rise in cases in New Zealand is showing. Border controls and lockdowns can only be temporary steps to buy time to develop a vaccine and secure the health system.

The Japanese authorities have failed on all counts. A slow vaccine role-out, with no locally produced vaccine, inept planning to provide enough hospital beds, a weak emergency enforcement mechanism, pathetic mixed messaging, which saps legitimacy, etc...

Only the pre-Covid accepted behaviour or mask wearing and the better health of the population has prevented the larger death rates seen elsewhere.

Now that the vaccination system has geared up, the challenge will be to get a high percentage of people jabbed. Yet we don't hear about plans for this, only more state of emergency calls to stay-at-home. What about moving quickly to create a disincentive programme, where people who don't want to cooperate, and don't show proof of vaccination, will be denied access to services and will require more regular paid out-of-pocket testing?

The very definition of the left hand doesn’t know what the right hand is doing! Pathetic!!

Back to Quasimo-do

I meet people on daily bases, everyone is masking up, washing hands, distancing, and doing all what is possible to minimize getting infected or infecting others. What is really needed is a government that is PROACTIVE and NOT REACTIVE.

Burning bush:

I’ve noticed this too.

also this time around the death rate compared to the positive rate is extremely low! I believe these restrictions are more harmful than helpful. Normal human activity is better than staying home and being inactive.

Ahhhhh. Excuse me if I am wrong, are not the Para Olympics in operation at this time?

What a farce.

In California, unvaccinated people are more than six times as likely to contract the coronavirus than those who have their shots, according to state data released on Monday.

And in Los Angeles County, the state’s most populous, an unvaccinated person is as much as 25 times more likely to be hospitalized with the disease.

“That, in a sense, is our proof that vaccines work,” said Dr. Robert Kim-Farley, an infectious-disease expert at the University of California, Los Angeles’s Fielding School of Public Health.

A recent survey by the University of Southern California found that people who were unvaccinated were more likely than the vaccinated to go to a bar or a friend’s house and less likely to wear a mask or avoid large gatherings

In other words, people who choose not to get vaccinated are also probably less worried about Covid-19 and take fewer safety precautions, contributing to their risk of falling ill, said Kevin Malotte, a professor emeritus of epidemiology at Cal State Long Beach.

“Lack of mask measures, lack of worry about it, lack of vaccination are all kind of the syndrome, and I think that’s what we’re seeing correlate with the high rates,”

in other words stupid is as stupid does. it is like smokers who know they will get lung cancer. but smoke anyway. But with COVID the anti-vaxxers spread their disease to others like a typhoid Mary. Facts, the enemy of the deluded anti-vaxxer crowd.

State of emergency ....What does that even mean?

it means they state it and then that's it. After that it got lost in translation

So Bach doesn't have to quarantine for 3 days and is probably enjoying free booze, private dinner parties, and sightseeing tours, while we are forced to quarantine for 14 days and are told not to go out and have fun. They are planning to have school children fill in the seats at the Paralympic events, while the number of infected people (especially kids) is increasing due to the outbreak of the Delta strain. I'm getting pretty annoyed that politics follows a different set of rules than the public.

Oh look. Deja Vu.

Things that didn’t work the first time, are just being done over and over again.

But I guess if you do the same thing over and over again, 100 times, regardless if it’s correct or not, you’ll eventually become good at it.

In other words, some day the Japanese government will perfect doing useless things!

Ahhhhh. Excuse me if I am wrong, are not the Para Olympics in operation at this time?

Oh, but that's different! The Paralympics are a chance to show the best of humanity overcoming obstacles and being an inspiration for the Children! And you know that in politics, especially in Japan, invoking The Children trumps every other argument.

Bush- right on the mark. Vaccinations will lead to a spike in cases.

"We will continue to do all we can"

So, they will continue to do absolutely nothing except losing elections as a result (the latter suits me just fine). Well done, Suga!

Japan's state of emergency is almost nothing, it sounds rather like "Be very careful, Stay home". Not much the government can do about it unless it has martial law/curfew. However everything seems okay as 60 - 70% of people would get vaccinated until the end of this year. Next year would be more.

Too many Japanese people carrying potable USB chargeable mini fans on the train spreading the virus not only but blowing virus directly into their eyes. I think the need to ban them

So let me get this straight. Expand the states of emergency to new prefectures but allow a shed load of school children to go to the paralympics where there are countries that don't even have any vaccines!!!

You couldn't make this up unless you were a senile Japanese politician with two eyes on the money and none on the safety of the citizens!

Securing hospital beds and temporary medical facilities - who can be impressed when this should have happened 15 month’s ago

Welcome to Japan! 15 months ago there wasnt an "emergency" and the authorites seemed to think that Japanese were immune from contracting the virus, so no preparations were made.

This is a typical response by authorities here, and by the time they actually get things in place, the current wave will be long over!

But the authorities will be patting themselves on the back for a job well done!

Employee san: Can I work from home?

Boss san: No

Bush- right on the mark. Vaccinations will lead to a spike in cases.

I'm more worried about the current spike in stupidity.

If I can share a personal experience of my own dealing with virus. (I hope this found helpful)

Back in February (end) start of March. I had felt my allergies were spurring up and wanted to see my doc for a re-script of the usual useless Japanese medicines they give that help to somewhat of a degree.

As a precaution. I was PCR tested and hit positive. I felt nothing. Matter of fact Influenza C which I have had in the past was way way worse. (I though I am gonna die) Anyways, followed Saga's standard procedures. In the hotel 10 days.

You would classify my case as a A-symptomatic case. According to what is known.

As my body generated natural anti-bodies.

Two days ago I had shot 1 of the Moderna, bio-tech Vaccine. My experience with it.

At 1:30 pm injection done.

The next day I woke up I felt no energy in my entire body accompanied with slight depression. (Just felt blue).

Through yesterday I was trying to push through it with a red bull. But that made me feel worse. I threw in the towel and all I wanted was my pillow and blanket. ( big baby) And that is exactly what I did. (crash and burn)

Side effects included.

Loss of taste and smell. (has returned)

Severe nausea with vertigo and dizziness. (totally gone)

Constipation. (Ok now)

Stomach felt bloated. (Feeling hungry now-starving actually)

Fever. Night sweats. (36.0 now)

(Before the crash and burn.)

Decided to take in 2 cartons of OG from 7-11 (3) Advil.

This morning when I woke up I felt fine and my arm was soar from the the needle.

I find the the side affects from the vaccine far far far more worse than the actual virus.

Maybe this information helps somebody or felt the same. It makes you think. What are we really dealing with here. The experience has been just weird.

This is ludicrous and a waste of time. Does anyone take notice of this? Just take precautions like mask wearing, stop harming small businesses.

Osaka is under SOE yet places are packed. Last night we went out drinking in Umeda, almost all sold alcohol and didn’t close at 8pm

Night clubs and bars in Osaka are rocking until 5am. Young people walk in with their masks on. After that first drink, the mask stays off. This State of Emergency is like the speed limit on the highway. Everyone goes 20kph over.

Yes, @Ubesh, agreed. That would have been two free and easy countermeasures directed to two acute problems. But maybe you know, they like it all now more difficult everywhere and of course contradicting, making the problems bigger before they show a first will to recognize them and until they are of course too big to be solved then.

marcelitoToday  07:35 am JST

Securing hospital beds and temporary medical facilities for COVID-19 patients, as well as ensuring those recuperating at home can be contacted is of the utmost importance. We will continue to do all we can," Suga told reporters...

Empty words you have been repeating for a year whilst doing nothing at all to prepare for the case increase. Useless Suga, just vacate the PM,s office already.

Thanks for nothing, Suga. Although here in America there's the virus of stupidity, ignorance, lies, superstition and just plain apathy as well. They need to pay attention to what the Governator recently said.

The vaccine has proven to be highly effective against COVID among more than 320,000 subjects who had received the vaccine based on the data collected by July 30, 2021.

more

The data also indicates a high safety profile of ##### with no serious adverse events associated with vaccination; no deaths related to the vaccination; no cerebral vein thrombosis (CVT) cases after vaccination; no Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) cases after vaccination; no capillary leak syndrome cases after vaccination; and no cases of myocarditis or pericarditis reported. The statement said

Where can we get such a vaccine??

@Slickdrifter

Good that you got lucky with the virus ; sorry that you got the hangover version of the vaccine reaction. Do not really get what is the point of your post. Are we going for public private diary now ?

For a week or so, it was raining dogs and cats. Not too hot. Still used an umbrella to avoid being wet . Stopped raining 2 days ago. Heat is back, have headache, want to lay down un-moving, sweat like crazy thus have to take shower and change my wet clothes often.

Maybe this information helps somebody or felt the same. It makes you think. What are we really dealing with here. The experience has been just weird.

All this and still no word on travel. No word on vaccine passports that will never get off the ground because Japan will not reciprocate. Half measures, no clear goal and no information. Most of the hospitals will not take Covid patients? The last time we saw this show was about Fukushima.

The Japanese government’s sense of panic and endless states of emergency are meaningless.

According to a report by Forbes the number of Japanese dead by suicide outweigh the number of deaths from Covid.

Mental anguish and depression arising from the bleak economic situation and the lack of government support for the people are the cause of death-it is not the virus!

State of emergency, quasi state of emergency, mini sort of state of emergency, stick my head under the pillow and hope it goes away state of emergency.

Which one is it?

Though it is a right-wing trope: the nanny-state, seems to be embraced by many, in that directives from the central government are seen as necessary to diminish the effects of the contagion. There are those who advocate draconian measures, that would empower the state to institute a lockdown and punish those who violate those dictates. Which is anti-democratic and totalitarian in nature. Less than wise.

The role of the central government should be to procure the vaccine and provide economic support to businesses and schools. And to issue pronouncements advocating protocols.

It is the responsibility of businesses and individuals to conform to protocols that reduce the spread of SARSCoV-2. Advocating a lockdown, during year two is an absurdity. Allowing foreigners to enter the country is incredibly ignorant. Holding international events, even more so. That is a function of the central government and it has failed its responsibilities.

What is needed: an adequate supply of vaccine and a program to insure inoculation to all the general population. That the actual solution. Until that happens, all is moot and simply a holding action.

SARSCoV-2 entered Japan in January 2020. It is August 2021. Instead of 80% of the population being immunized, it hovers around 40% to 50%. The only shining light: 80% of those over 65 are fully immunized. Immunization should be required of employees by businesses, same for government employees and schools. No vaccine, no job.

There are those who advocate draconian measures, that would empower the state to institute a lockdown and punish those who violate those dictates. Which is anti-democratic and totalitarian in nature. Less than wise…..

Immunization should be required of employees by businesses, same for government employees and schools. No vaccine, no job.

you seem to be contradicting yourself… hmmm

It's not fair to call people Anti-Vaxxers when we can't even get an appointment.

FACT! I just got off the phone with my prefecture's vaccination center. The earliest appointment I could get is in November. With that said, it's unfair to call anybody anything. You can't even get in there to get the shot.

I'm confident, I'm not alone on this.

Almost any headline related to covid triggers the usual whiners to some how connect it to the Olympics / Paralympics. It's excellent comedy reading some of the imaginative links, my favorite being that it "changes peoples minds" to ignore SOE's.

What will you blame in 10 days time when the events are all over? I look forward to finding out...