Gov't extends state of emergency through May 31, adding Aichi, Fukuoka prefectures

a bunch of idiot incompetents. stop half measures of limited efficiency (except destroying the economy), stop sucking teeth in endless meetings, and start massive vaccinations asap. it is the only way out

The new normal.

It's getting boring now..

Suga still on for his May steak dinner and beers with his mates ?

More chamce of winning the lottery than getting a a shot here.

Unfortunately, simply declaring a state of emergency is useless unless it is backed by concrete actions and enforcement...

Karaoke joints are asked to stop serving alcohol?

But you can still lock yourself in a sealed room for hours on end with a bunch of screeching mates (and a couple of bags full of booze you picked up at the conbini on your way in)?

Still, as long as you've got to jam yourself on a train with thousands of strangers every morning and night, why not have a sing-song?

Will this coven of incompetents ever realise that the main vector of the virus is not enjoying yourself?

For me, I've had enough. Give me the virus already and let me check out in peace. It's the waiting I can't handle.

Let's hope the businesses affected get compensated enough to stay afloat. These small businesses are essential to the people and their families who own or are employed by them. Many overlook that a healthy nation also relies on a functional economy.

A study by Washington University claims Japans real covid death toll is over 100,000, and the global death toll is over 7 million.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9550367/Covid-killed-7MILLION-people-world-double-official-tally-study-claims.html

We don't need a SOE in Tokyo! All they need to do is run less trains, pack them to 280% (previously they were 180%), and the problem will be solved Japanese Gov't thinking!

What should happen is they need to run MORE trains, so the trains are not as packed. I know I sound crazy, but I am just a rocket scientist!

Short and powerful..

No way it was about the SoE. Maybe he was making a dirty reference?

What a farce, Gifu city which is by far the largest centre in Gifu prefecture with almost a half million souls and borders Aichi prefecture is basically a bed town of Nagoya due to many people commuting there to work on a daily basis,but in Aichi prefecture there is a "real" lockdown but in Gifu there is a "quasi"

This has literally no logic,because with such silly rules the Gifu commuters that move to Nagoya every day will spread the virus.

What a lot of non sense by a government made by Muppets.

More chamce of winning the lottery than getting a a shot here.

Not necessarily. The appointment system opened up in my city yesterday for certain groups, who had received pre-authorization letters. My wife was able to easily login, and make appointments for both shots. The 1st one is next weekend, and the 2nd is 3 weeks later.

Like many things in Japan, it was ridiculously slow to start. (Like unforgivably slow in this case.) But, once implemented, it appears to be running okay. Now, I'm waiting to see how long it takes for my demographic group to move up on the list.

RecklessToday  04:56 pm JST

The feeling of depression in Japan is rising because there is no clear way out. I contrast this to the optimism felt in Florida when I visited a few months back because although cases had been high, vaccinations were clearly progressing and now anyone in the state can get vaccinated for free. It feels like Japan is walking through a swamp in circles with no map.

Florida has been leading the way back to freedom, even before vaccines became available, because the governor realized that it's impossible to eliminate the virus. Plus, he didn't have an unwanted sports festival to salvage.

Yep, good work Jgov. Stopping me having a lunchtime beer (alcohol free beer allowed) with my weekend lunch with my wife is a surefire way to beat this terrible Wuhan virus once and for all.

No state of emergency for me. Back to school on Monday where I will be teaching 160 students each week in cramped conditions. I'm guessing it will be the same for all those forced to use public transport to get to work? This Japanese government are idiots who have zero understanding of the virus or how to control its spread.

How many of those "cases" are actually sick, and can you enlighten us about the actual conditions of those who died, eg, age and comorbidities?

It doesn't matter ! If the hospitals are at capacity with just few hundreds of cases it really isn't just covid19 that is scary. Everything else is scary ! Japan is scary !

The government had hoped a "short and powerful" state of emergency would contain a fourth wave.

Translation: The government hoped the calendar (brief reuctionin commuting cause by GW) + "the virus only transmits after 8pm unless you're LDP elite in a steak bar, in which case fuggeddaboudit" = strategy.

The trains will remain packed and offices will remain unventilated until the packed train home.

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2021/01/09/national/stations-busy-emergency-begins/

This is not a State of Emergency. It's a magical incantation. Disparate Virosum.

n1k1Today  06:54 pm JST

How many of those "cases" are actually sick, and can you enlighten us about the actual conditions of those who died, eg, age and comorbidities?

It doesn't matter ! If the hospitals are at capacity with just few hundreds of cases it really isn't just covid19 that is scary. Everything else is scary ! Japan is scary !

Of course it matters. The vast majority of the population won't even know they have this virus unless tested, and around 98-99.8% of those who do develop symptoms recover, the rate varying with age. And as most governments have been hoodwinked into banning non-vaccine early-stage treatments in favor of blanket vaccination in the world's biggest clinical trials, talk to them if you're worried about hospitals reaching capacity.

It was always going to be a month long SOE..... They just didn't tell you.

BTW... there has been no connection made between trains, crowded or otherwise and covid infection.

People wearing masks, breathing steadily in silence hasn't been a spreading event... so far. Which is just as well!

Hey Ahhhhh. How about the vaccine?

This is really frustrating. They only have two choices: vaccinate or lock-down. Apparently, they can't handle vaccination because they are utterly incompetent so they left the choice to the people.

Stay inside or die.

And as most governments have been hoodwinked into banning non-vaccine early-stage treatments in favor of blanket vaccination 

Hoodwinked, eh? Sounds fascinating.

Do go on with links.

I hope you won’t send us to pulp novelist and Fox News reject Alex Berenson. He’s required reading for the terrified-of-their-own-shadows, delirious right.

The new abnormal!

More of the same solutions that failed. Rewind! Repeat!

Highlights of today’s press conference by the PM

He promised 1 million vaccinations a day.

He promised more testing

He is very proud he arranged for free vaccinations from Pfizer for the Olympic athletes and associates.

This will make the games safe

People arriving from India Nepal etc will have 3 tests on arrival and 6 days quarantine to stop the variants. ( which earlier he said is ALREADY 80% of cases in Osaka, 60% in Tokyo etc- for these he promised increased monitoring )

we are in safe hands

More of the same solutions that failed. Rewind! Repeat!

But what else can they do ?

Seems to me lockdowns are illegal and so is vaccination.

How do I get downvoted for reporting verbatim the facts of the PMs press conference.

oh maybe it is the part about the safe hands you disagree with

At this point, I don't know what's worse.

The actual Covid-19 Pandemic, hearing the government say anything about the SOE being on or off, any Olympic talk, NOT having any vaccine advancements, or the Japanese education system and their ipad nonsense.

How would one rank these from worst to least worst?

How do I get downvoted for reporting verbatim the facts of the PMs press conference.

Maybe it is because of "He promised 1 million vaccinations a day."

I haven't seen the press conference but this just doesn't sound very believable.

He clearly promised 1 million a vaccinations a day and in the NHK analysis of his press conference they also reported that he said exactly this - 1 million vaccinations a day - confirming What I heard him say.

I could not make this up if I wanted to as like you I am a little skeptical, but that is EXAcTLY what he said

He has promised 35 million elderly to be vaccinated by the end of July two shots.

To date less than 1% of elderly have 1 shot. Most places not really starting vaccinations of elderly in numbers till next month. Do the mathematics for him to keep his promise about end of July yes he exactly will need around a million vaccinations a day

Again downvoting me for simply reporting the facts. Sorry you don’t like the truth but I didn’t make it up. It is what it is.

adding that stemming the spread of the virus from the younger population to vulnerable groups including the elderly was crucial. He also noted that variant strains of the virus were spreading rapidly.

And how do you intend to do it when you are not vaccinating and you are not testing. How much will

it cost to perform daily PCR test on all elderly home staff. They and their visiting family members are

the ones infecting the vulnerable elderly inhabitants. Suga san, let me give you an idea, all elderly homes

and their occupants and staffs are known why don't you hire private clinic doctors and nurses closer to each

elderly home to go there even on a sunday and administer the jabs.

What a shame reporters here are so scared to ask difficult questions.

He promised 1 million vaccinations a day.

He promised more testing

Nothing new making promises and not keeping them after all there is no

accountability and no questions asked by the accompanying scared

cheerleading reporters.

His predecessor promised 200,000 tests and 50,000 Corona beds, we know the

outcome.

Koike promised 65,000 tests, nobody has been bold and ever attempted to ask her

about her promise.

I wonder, but ...

Is there a government anywhere (anywhere at all) in the world that is more disinterested, more disorganised, less capable, more ancient, dumber, more idiotic, more bureaucratic, dodgier, more tonedeaf and less prone to bribes than the Japanese one...?

I think we have a winner.

Mass vaccinations? You believe it’ll go back to normal after getting a vaccine? Why do they tell people to keep wearing masks even after getting vaccinated? Why do people keep getting sick after being inoculated? It will never go back to normal, don’t believe that this so called vaccine will be the ticket back. It won’t, and you will be signing your own death warrant if you take it. Really research the vaccine. Check out the arguments against MRNA gene therapies. Why are they pushing this gene therapy on people so hard for a virus that has a 99.8% survival rate? It makes no sense, plus it’s not even approved except under emergency use. It’s experimental, and you want to chance your life on an experimental drug?

you want to chance your life on an experimental drug?

Yep, if it means safety, health, freedom, and ensuring the economy.

Jay11

Check out the arguments against MRNA gene therapies. Why are they pushing this gene therapy on people so hard for a virus that has a 99.8% survival rate?

99.95% survival rate actually, unless you select the very old population segment plus preexisting conditions. And the breathless media coverage makes it sound like Ebola or black plague. Weird times.

Loss of smell, loss of taste, shortness of breath, and fatigue are the four most common symptoms that people reported 8 months after a mild case of COVID-19,...

https://www.webmd.com/lung/news/20210412/the-most-common-lingering-symptoms-after-mild-covid

Ssssttt , we’re all supposed to die quietly, at home , as no hospital beds are available saving our last breath to applaud the olympic 100 mtr winner

The vast majority of the population won't even know they have this virus unless tested...

No. Asymptotic carriers are 40%, not the "vast majority."

World media is reporting Suga is adamant about the Olympics taking place, which is a good thing for all the athletes around the globe who have been training hard to excel in Tokyo this coming summer.

I feel bad for those losing their jobs.

I don't see anything close to being measures for a "state of emergency."

Maybe it should be called a "state of empty measures agreed upon by a committee of bureaucrats who know nothing about anything?"

A couple of days ago a uni student was complaining about 2 weeks of a fairly soft lockdown. I commented that they should 'man up'. That was fair for 2 weeks, but if this continues for longer, with increased restrictions, it does get tough, especially for some groups.

The rise in domestic violence, depression and suicide is noticeable. Uni students away from home for the first time, women, those living on a subsistence income (particularly those in less formal employment that govt. support packages may not reach) and the elderly will feel considerably more isolated. It doesn't always appear in the stats as folk avoid seeking help, especially in a lockdown.

For a longer state of emergency, the financial support is going to have to reach those that may previously have missed out and may now have nothing to fall back on. And support beyond the financial will be needed too.

We are sociable creatures and a longer lockdown will be tough.

Hang on in there and keep in contact with your friends and family online, on the phone and via mail. Postcards have proved popular for many. Try to avoid persistently watching the news, and find something to do that you enjoy. Gardening, reading, DIY, online education. If the rules allow you out, mask-up and (avoiding busy areas) walk to somewhere where there are no crowds, get some exercise and take some photos. You don't have to be a tourist in Japan to enjoy photographing it.

‘We will overcome in the near future’ ?

the correct words of the song - we will overcome- someday!

if I know everything about nothing and nothing about anything - perhaps I could become a member of this wonderful J gov ?