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Kishida taking no chances as Japan closes border over Omicron

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Get vaxxed, wear a mask, and stay vigilant!

7 ( +31 / -24 )

Way to distance himself from Suga yet did Suga finally choose to quit (?) or, as this article states:

Yoshihide Suga, who *was forced to resign **amid criticism over his slow response and focus on economic activities.” - *?
15 ( +17 / -2 )

I fear this country is returning to it's old ways, isolation from the rest of the world, thinking it's the center of the world.

4 ( +35 / -31 )

Just sad, the fear mongering is out of control! The media has a lot to answer for over this.

5 ( +36 / -31 )

I am ready to face criticism that I am being too cautious,"

the effectiveness of vaccines for the strain remain unknown

Don't worry Mr. Kishida.

Under these circumstances and as long as it is not clear how dangerous or mild this new strain is, it was the best decision to close the borders.

*
-2 ( +24 / -26 )

yesterday's story: "Japan on Tuesday banned new entries by foreigners globally for at least one month in an attempt to stave off the new Omicron variant of the novel coronavirus"

today's story: "Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has been quick to tighten Japan's border control over the Omicron variant of the coronavirus, imposing a ban on new entries by all foreign visitors from Tuesday"

2 ( +8 / -6 )

Yet experience shows this will not eliminate the spreading of Omicron to Japan. It will just take a little longer.

30 ( +35 / -5 )

First we take first shot covid vaccination, then second, then third. We are tested before travel, after travel….still is not enough and borders are closed. Perhaps Japan should pay all the airlines so we that have tickets to Japan can be refunded for not ever being able to enter the country. Because airlines make us move the tickets for new dates, two years of that now. And in Europe we have been plenty liberal to make people that are fully vaccinated enter after testing.

12 ( +17 / -5 )

Get vaxxed

With the dangerous and hopelessly ineffective Big Pharma concoctions which caused this? No thanks.

-16 ( +20 / -36 )

Allowing 3500 a day to enter Japan is definitely not being too cautious or taking every precautions .

The ultimate contingency for worst case scenario in a pandemic crisis situation would be to close the entry to Japan completely until better understanding of the omicron virus has been established.

Meanwhile kishida dreams of backlash for imposing strict measures is pathetic egotistical wishful thinking.

-11 ( +6 / -17 )

"I am ready to face criticism that I am being too cautious," Kishida told reporters Monday, apparently expecting a backlash from the business community.

Nothing wrong with caution in the face of a pandemic. The LDP's fault is inadequate preparation and support for the impact of their measures on the populace.

8 ( +12 / -4 )

Probably would have been a good move when the disease first appeared in China.

If the new strain is more virulent or less contained by the vaccines such a measure will be justified if not it is an over reaction, but as we currently don’t know it’s a gamble.

1 ( +5 / -4 )

The additional 70 passengers on the same flight as the diplomat tested negative.

Well,it is assumed that they would since it takes days to show a positive result after exposure (on the flight)

Those 70 passengers movements are being monitored via a smartphone app.

We know how well that will work.

If they really weren't taking any chances, they would have isolated those 70 individuals in a government facility and waited until they showed negative on multiple test.

Six wave starts...now.

9 ( +14 / -5 )

Get vaxxed

With the dangerous and hopelessly ineffective Big Pharma concoctions which caused this? No thanks.

Evidence please.

”Do your own research” is not an acceptable response.

0 ( +17 / -17 )

Under the new rules...Japan requires returning Japanese and foreign residents ...to be quarantined at designated facilities...

How is this different from before?

12 ( +14 / -2 )

Under the new rules to be implemented for at least a month, Japan requires returning Japanese and foreign residents from 23 countries and regions to be quarantined at designated facilities as well as lowering its daily limit for the number of people arriving from 5,000 back down to 3,500.

So the entry ban is not extended to foreign residents?

I fear this country is returning to it's old ways, isolation from the rest of the world, thinking it's the center of the world.

I agree, but I would add that this mentality has been present for over 10 years now. The pandemic just accelerated it and gave it legitimacy

4 ( +10 / -6 )

It seems Omicron knocks out Delta so hey it could be a good thing!

3 ( +8 / -5 )

From my one day of being on this news site I’ve been shocked at the level of hostility from those who push for the vaccines.

Get the vaccine or die.

-6 ( +10 / -16 )

What is ALL the fuss about? We are just back exactly where we were right up until the end of October. No changes - apart from the countries and the number of days required in an awful APA Hotel - which will just grow by the day. Back to 3500 entrants a day which had only been increased to 5000 last Friday. Vaxxed no longer count. Reckon this will be it until end of March.

8 ( +12 / -4 )

I’m majoring in psychology and sociology. 

Great, them you should have a stats course that will teach you reliability and validity, and also causation and correlation. All necessary to understand:

 had an individual on here yesterday attack me because I’m healthy and haven’t been sick since 2016, they told me there is no science behind being healthy and no science to prove that it can help people from getting sick.

Being young and healthy doesn't have any reliability in fighting the pandemic. While a young and healthy person may have a 1/3 chance of being asymptomatic, they can unknowingly pass the virus to others, like how Omicron came to Japan. So why even mention young and healthy when we're discussing vaccines?

Even though I never mentioned I was against or for vaccines.

Only anti-vax people would use the term "push the vaccine."

-2 ( +9 / -11 )

So stooping to low levels by belittling others you don’t agree with is how you go about it?

I'm only speaking on their little status. I'm not making them little, they do it with their own actions.

Maybe those you disagree with feel the same about you.

The difference is, I've been vaccinated, so when the vaccine passports come out, I'll be out and about, and they'll be home crying that no one likes them.

One last thing, Do you also think there is no science behind living a healthy lifestyle?

Eh? I rarely drink, only eat unprocessed food, and work out 6/7 mornings a week. But I'm also not one of those idiots that claim good health alone is enough protect against coronavirus because I hope its so. I've spent the time looking for studies to support that, and have not found anything. So one last thing, do you also think that good exercise and diet alone is enough to protect against covid?

-2 ( +10 / -12 )

Few days ago, its was upvote on most comments which were against the Gov decision. Now it's opposite. Yes we are all sheep, Beh! Beh!

-5 ( +4 / -9 )

At this point, I think it's a good idea I start learning the rest of the Greek alphabet.

12 ( +13 / -1 )

What I believe with the Big Pharma conocctions is they rushed experimental vaccines onto the market. Before effectiveness or lack thereof was properly determined. If you see what they said about the vaccines when they were first released, no doubt this is true.

When it started to become apparent they were much less effective and much more dangerous, Wall Street using governments in the west and Japan, the 'free press' and Big Tech put their censors to work.

And still don't know what the long term effects are. Heart inflammation naturally occurring kills a lot of people within 5 years. Maybe the inflammation these concoctions cause are much better, or much worse. Still don't know.

3 ( +12 / -9 )

Nobody on here is pro-vaccine.

We are anti-misinformation.

If the vaccines didn't work I would be the first to reject them, but the majority of studies already show that they do.

If you are majoring in psychology, I suggest you look up the typical traits of people who fall for conspiracy theories and the like. There have been several done.

The usual suspects on this site display them every day. Watching that is a much more interesting psychological pastime.

-2 ( +11 / -13 )

When it started to become apparent they were much less effective and much more dangerous, Wall Street using governments in the west and Japan, the 'free press' and Big Tech put their censors to work.

Wall Street are behind it all? I see. Their government control in ‘The West and Japan’? What about all the other countries, who is pulling their strings?

Censors? Aah I see. A coordinated effort between Wall Street, the West, Japan, global media, and every medical institution to hide the truth in order to do what exactly?

Everyone is in on this to make money for Pfizer? Or is it far more nefarious?

0 ( +9 / -9 )

I had hoped with the population nearly fully vaccinated and new cases in the single digits that things would get back to normal with a reasonable quarantine response. This shows how power corrupts. With the snap of a finger borders can be closed by one man while thousands suffer humanitarian crises such as inability to meet family or fiancés for years.

12 ( +13 / -1 )

Wall Street are behind it all? I see. Their government control in ‘The West and Japan’? What about all the other countries, who is pulling their strings?

Russia, China, India have categorically rejected the mRNA vaccines along with a number of countries in their spheres of influence. SA recently rejected a US 'gift' of mRNA vaccines.

Many specialists and medical institutions have warned people not to take the mRNA vaccines. You can find them using DuckDuckGo search engine.

3 ( +12 / -9 )

So far all signs point to Omicron being more contagious, but less lethal. No deaths have been reported. The South African who discovered the new strain has said the world is overreacting. I agree. If Covid-19 has simply evolved into the common cold and it becomes widespread, then thats a good thing. It means we get it and we don't die, plus we get the antibodies.

10 ( +12 / -2 )

So far all signs point to Omicron being more contagious, but less lethal. No deaths have been reported. The South African who discovered the new strain has said the world is overreacting. I agree. If Covid-19 has simply evolved into the common cold and it becomes widespread, then thats a good thing. It means we get it and we don't die, plus we get the antibodies.

Each assumption you made in that post results in a post that is precariously balanced on a lot of 'I hope'.

-4 ( +9 / -13 )

At this point, I think it's a good idea I start learning the rest of the Greek alphabet.

Don't bother learning the ones that sound Chinese... Like Xi. WHO skipped that one so the Chinese wouldn't be offended.

12 ( +15 / -3 )

Nobody on here is pro-vaccine.

I am. They are a miracle of science. Just imagine how much worse the pandemic would be without them.

-8 ( +9 / -17 )

right move,better be safe than sorry.

be patient about some travel abroad as reality have kicked in.

Japan have many nice places enjoy your free travel within country.

stay safe take care all.

1 ( +7 / -6 )

Agree with other comments. Seems Japan is seeking to become more isolated.

Closing the borders for a "concerning variant" (how many of these will we see?) is not based on health or science. Especially when Japan has a healthy population, high vaccination rate, and access to many highly- effective treatments, if, in the unlikely scenario, COVID hospitalizations spike.

2 ( +7 / -5 )

This could be a calculated move by Kishida. Sealing the borders and then scrutinizing the new "omicron" variant cases to see how they allegedly got to Japan would give Japan the ability to break from the rest of the herd. If the borders are sealed, then where is this new "variant" coming from? Perhaps he is trying to save his citizenry from endless "tweaked" vaccines and twice-yearly boosters?

Or maybe just panicking. Time will tell.

-7 ( +4 / -11 )

I only hope Kishida will reject Yuki Waseda, head of one of Japanese opposition parties who submitted an urgent request to the Ministry in charge to also ban re-entry of ALL foreigners to Japan INCLUDING those with residential status!!!!!!! hey have done it before but hopefully they will not follow this path again, but It would not take much to persuade the government to follow this populist line if it was seen as a plus for their standing in protecting the country.

3 ( +5 / -2 )

The Omicron was brought into the country by a diplomat from Namibia detected by genomic screening at the airport. The man was placed in isolation.

That is assuming the variant is not present (but undetected) in the countryalready, seeing how the Japanese goverment gave lots of quarantine exceptions this is not impossible.

And still don't know what the long term effects are. Heart inflammation naturally occurring kills a lot of people within 5 years. Maybe the inflammation these concoctions cause are much better, or much worse. Still don't know.

We already know that the risk of long term effects are lower by vaccinating, do you know what gives orders of magnitufe more risk of hearth inflammation? the COVID infection, even for young healthy people. We don't know how much worse the infection is compared with the vaccine, but we already know it is worse.

Russia, China, India have categorically rejected the mRNA vaccines along with a number of countries in their spheres of influence.

Everybody is free to do as they like, but that do not mean this magically becomes scientific evidence against the vaccine. Also viral vector borne vaccines (Sputnik and AstraZeneca) ARE mRNA vaccines that act in exactly the same way once inside the cell, producing the spike protein, etc. The only difference is that they are delivered by a coat of protein instead of lipids.

-3 ( +11 / -14 )

Looks like new variants/mutations are likely to happen in less developed countries or the ones with less abundancy of vaccines. I think countries should work together to supply vaccines to as many people as poosible across the globe, instead of playing a sprint where they keep introducing 3rd shot, 4th shot etc. for their own citizens. Pointing fingers and being greedy will only worsen the situation.

-1 ( +5 / -6 )

Only anti-vax people would use the term "push the vaccine."

Only those who push the vaccine would use the term "anti-vax."

3 ( +13 / -10 )

This move is likely futile and we know it is already here, but if I had a choice of overreaction or a Suga-like underreaction, I will take this one thank you very much.

The entry ban and longer quarantine period ruined my planned trip home and I still think it is the right thing to do as it will buy us time and allow the country to ready itself.

-3 ( +6 / -9 )

@Euro Dude

Any normal country is like this.

-1 ( +7 / -8 )

One last thing, Do you also think there is no science behind living a healthy lifestyle?

living a healthy lifesytle isnt the endgame of stopping this pandemic, its kills the elderly the most even if theyre healthy, your immune system just degrades with age.

what I find is the lack of empathy for the elderly by he anti vaxxers, they seem to think theyre freedoms right to choose somehow trumps the elderly's right to live,

the science clearly shows that vaccines are safe and effective in reducing hospitalization and deaths dramatically. my 76yr old mother in law nearly died becasue of delayed liver treatment that she couldnt get because of hospitals full of covid patients. Japan is approaching herd immunity through vaccinations

high percentage of mask wearing and being responsible following the science. infections and deaths have dropped dramatically because of it.

meanwhile youve got a small percentage who refuse to get vaccinated or follow the science because they think pandemics dont apply to them or their rights and freedoms somehow stop covid in its tracks.

Meanwhile government are becoming more forceful mandatory policies in reply to recalcitrant pseudoscience followers

-2 ( +8 / -10 )

bobefosse 

I guess you want me to show you my credentials? Lol

Lord no.

Its good to learn about the different beliefs people have and don’t have. Don’t you agree.

Beliefs and facts are not the same. As an academic I’d hope that would be foremost in your mind.

-2 ( +8 / -10 )

Interesting @PharoahChromium 10:32am. “Wake up, FAST!” and do . . . ?

I think there is more to it, that I should add. Community building is essential too. Stop giving corporations so much power. Source things locally, build up community support and stop giving away your freedom willingly through this never-ending vaccine schedule.

4 ( +9 / -5 )

So all the cases travelling with Omicron have been fully vaccinated...

Therefore its the Vaccinated who are putting everyone in danger by transporting it around the world...

the UK just advised for Boosters after 3 MONTHS based on omicron for everyone over 18 years old!!!!!

They must have a lot of faith in those vaccinations for them to be recommending that....NOT...

One article I read seemed to suggest it was the Pharma companies whose scientists are studying the virus to see if it is more dangerous or not in the US...Gee wonder what their findings will be if they stand to lose billions if it turns out to be no more harmful than an everyday cold...

2 ( +13 / -11 )

Too quick and cautious? Letting in infected diplomatic staff from that region? Are you kidding? Two years too late with border closure, that’s it and nothing else.

-8 ( +2 / -10 )

Treble4punk

“Get the vaccine or die”…

not that I am against it but some people did lose their life getting the vaccines

4 ( +10 / -6 )

How is me not getting vaccinated affecting someone who already is or should be??

It increases the chances of the disease spreading from you, and also for variants to appear, since no vaccine have ever promised 100% efficacy and people with vulnerabilities can still die even after vaccination that means you not vaccinating increases the chances of them having serious health problems or dying, in a lesser degree this also applies to everybody else because the risk is never zero for any population.

On top of that this also increase the risk for the people that want to be vaccinated but can't, because they have valid medical reasons that prevents it, your irrational decision to disregard the scientific consensus also increase the risk for them.

The problem with the current system is the Blanket vaccination strategy which thankfully omicron has shown to be ludicrous.

How has it shown it? based on what scientific data, if anything it did the opposite, proving once more that variants that decrease the effect of previous immunity (including from infection) appear in populations that have not been adequately vaccinated.

Vaccinating 5 year olds with trial vaccines is not the right way!

According to the experts it is the right way, and they have data to prove it, against their well substantiatied professional opinion what some nameless person on the internet says is irrelevant.

-4 ( +7 / -11 )

"virusrexToday  11:31 am JST

How is me not getting vaccinated affecting someone who already is or should be??

It increases the chances of the disease spreading from you,"

Ummm... ALL Omicron cases are fully vaccinated...

Next!

0 ( +12 / -12 )

Vaccinating 5 year olds with trial vaccines is not the right way!

According to the experts it is the right way, 

Are these experts working for Pfizer....

-3 ( +10 / -13 )

Ummm... ALL Omicron cases are fully vaccinated..

That is false, only the cases from travelers are vaccinated, but that is precisely because being vaccinated is a requisite to become a traveller, if you tested only rich, or short, or left handed people it would also mean all the infected people detected would be rich, or short or left handed.

There is no description of the cases of local transmission to be in any way vaccinated in a higher rate than expected, so your argument is completely false.

 If the PCR test didn’t catch it but japans genome test did then the PCR test is useless.

The case was detected by a PCR test, the sequencing of the genome is done after the infection is detected.

Are these experts working for Pfizer....

So you think the people that examine and approve vaccines for the different governments of the world all work for Pfizer? can you prove it?

1 ( +12 / -11 )

Vaccinating 5 year olds with trial vaccines is not the right way!

According to the experts it is the right way, 

Are these experts working for Pfizer....

And as I previously posted about the FDA online panel discussion on vaccinating kids, one of the FDA "experts" (Eric Rubin?) said something like: we're never going to learn how safe the vaccine is for kids unless we start giving it to them and so I think we should vote to approve it.

I wear a helmet when I cycle. I wear a seatbelt when I drive.

How many people are killed or permanently disabled by their helmet or seatbelt (without any accident).

The old and vulnerable might benefit by getting the vaccine, but the risk-benefit ratio is not worth it for younger healthy individuals, especially with omicron's heavily mutated spike protein.

0 ( +9 / -9 )

@Good

“Get vaxxed, wear a mask, and stay vigilant!”

I would add get vaxxed, if you are comfortable with that, wear a mask, and stay vigilant.

-4 ( +3 / -7 )

And as I previously posted about the FDA online panel discussion on vaccinating kids, one of the FDA "experts" (Eric Rubin?) said something like: we're never going to learn how safe the vaccine is for kids unless we start giving it to them and so I think we should vote to approve it.

And still means the experts already know the vaccine is safe for children, as in safer than letting them be infected by COVID, but this is done assuming the worst possible kind of risks that still means vaccinating the children can still very likely result on the risks of the vaccination to be exaggerated at this point.

This means the experts do know the vaccine is safe, what is not know is how much safer than not vaccinating.

How many people are killed or permanently disabled by their helmet or seatbelt (without any accident).

Safety equipment is in this the same as vaccines, some people would get worse outcomes by using it than not, but still the risk for everybody for which is necessary becomes much lower thanks to their use. If the person has a hundreth or a thousandth of the risk by using seatbelts or vaccines that still means rejecting it is unreasonable and illogic.

The old and vulnerable might benefit by getting the vaccine, but the risk-benefit ratio is not worth it for younger healthy individuals, especially with omicron's heavily mutated spike protein.

Baseless speculation is not a valid argument, specially because you have been proved wrong and the risk-benefit for young healthy individuals in on the side of vaccines. Unless you can prove omicron changes this (with actual scientific evidence) you are just guessing from your personal point of view.

I would add get vaxxed, if you are comfortable with that,

That is valid as long as not vaccinating is replaced by other measures to reduce the risk, like isolation.

I hope the study described in the linked article is wrong, but if not, many of us will regret getting vaccinated. Apparently there are also other researchers are afraid of exposing adverse effects from the vaccines due to loss of funding.

If the "exposing" comes on the hand of badly written reports full of mistakes and and invalid scientific process to reach the conclusions, then the potential authors should be afraid, to let everybody know that you can't write a proper scientific report can mean the end of the career of the authors.

As the expression of concern of your reference says:

Soon after publication of the above abstract in Circulation, it was brought to the American Heart Association Committee on Scientific Sessions Program’s attention that there are potential errors in the abstract. Specifically, there are several typographical errors, there is no data in the abstract regarding myocardial T-cell infiltration, there are no statistical analyses for significance provided, and the author is not clear that only anecdotal data was used.

-2 ( +6 / -8 )

I just heard on FNN prime (Fuji News) that they're closing re-entry to even residents with a Status of Residence in Japan...

So yeah, he's taking no chances! Good thing I didn't buy my ticket out!

6 ( +9 / -3 )

The problem with the current system is the Blanket vaccination strategy which thankfully omicron has shown to be ludicrous. Now it is the vaccinated who are spreading the virus..

herd immunity starts at around 80% infected or vaccinated, history has shown us over the last 100yrs of outbreaks. vaccination reduces hospitalization and death not necessary infection. best case which most vaccinated will get is mild symptoms slight fever etc, worst case is which is mostly unvaccinated as the statistics show us is hospitalization ICU or death. why should unvaccinated be given a hospital bed over say a person who needs surgery for say a car accident or heart attack etc. If you get serious covid infection even while vaccinated then thats fine, as no vaccine is perfect and vaccinated needing covid hospitalisation is less than 5%. If a unvaccinated individual by choice gets infected and needs hospitalisation they should wait at the back of the line, except for individual with compromised immune systems or a medical excuse for not being vaccinated. vaccines are safe far far safer than worrying about dying of allergic reaction compared to dying from covid, the statistics show us that also.

0 ( +6 / -6 )

You choose to live your life the way you want and I’ll do the same! In the end for me it’s all about mutual respect for the other.

pandemic dont respect anybody, how can you say mutual respect when unvaccinated are clearly doing their part prolonging a pandemic against the will of the supermajority that have been vaccinated.

There are still millions of unvaccinated individuals and while the next wave may be smaller than prior waves, its still statistically likely that unvaccinated will be taking up over 90% of covid hospitalizations, taking valuable resources away from those that hospitals were actually meant for. All because some individuals refuse to take a proven safe and effective vaccine

-3 ( +7 / -10 )

“virusrexToday  11:47 am JST

Ummm... ALL Omicron cases are fully vaccinated..

That is false, only the cases from travelers are vaccinated, but that is precisely because being vaccinated is a requisite to become a traveller, if you tested only rich, or short, or left handed people it would also mean all the infected people detected would be rich, or short or left handed.

There is no description of the cases of local transmission to be in any way vaccinated in a higher rate than expected, so your argument is completely false.”

I should have clarified all the people spreading the virus around the world are fully vaccinated!

So your argument is completely false….

1 ( +8 / -7 )

anon99999Today 

I only hope Kishida will reject Yuki Waseda, head of one of Japanese opposition parties who submitted an urgent request to the Ministry in charge to also ban re-entry of ALL foreigners to Japan INCLUDING those with residential status!!!!!!! They have done it before but hopefully they will not follow this path again,

As @zichi just noted, Japan has now banned all foreigners, including residents, PRs and non-citizen family from entering if coming from the 10 mentioned southern African countries.

This was done because the Edo-thinking dinosaurs in the government complained that the ban simply on non-resident foreign visitors was not strict enough.

As it become more evident that Omicron is actually already transmitting in Europe and elsewhere, expect the ban to be extended to more (if not all) countries.

7 ( +8 / -1 )

A tiny minuscule minority? so you prefer to believe the vast mayority of the professionals are in the conspiracy and only a few are actually good people? how is this even more believable?

There is a big difference between being "in on a conspiracy" and fearing that you will lose your career if you do what you know is the right thing to do. They should have never been placed in this position in the first place, but it is pretty evident otherwise decent people are coerced to do bad things.

Especially because the data reported is completely inadequate to oppose the data obtained from millions and millions of people in every country, examined and validated by the best experts of the world.

"Validation" as you say should be open to debate and criticism. If you can't criticize the way in which data is collected and reported under the guise of "science" purported by the sad little man Fauci, then it is not science. It is a cult. Science SHOULD be questioned and re-examined. What remains after rigorous and impartial challenge is true science. That which is preached as gospel and jealously protected from challenge is propaganda.

We are after TRUTH here and Schopenhauer probably addressed that best in his quote:

"All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident."

And this has been repeatedly debunked every time you keep trying to use it as an argument.

If "this" means treatments for covid, who has "this" been debunked by actually? Experts with a wide range of views and experiences, or just those that support the prevailing narrative? "Fact checkers" hardly make for experts in the subject areas they "check" and rarely if ever expose themselves to rebuttal by those that are.

I will leave you with one thought on the whole matter though. What if vaccines (at least for covid) are not the best preventative or treatment measure all individuals? Why have alternative treatments been so roundly condemned and muted by news and social media?

-2 ( +5 / -7 )

 It begs the question of people who took the vaccine are the one carrying it?

Spot on!

5 ( +10 / -5 )

Yeah, except that he let the other people on the flight with the confirmed infection go home without any testing, or any quarantine whatsoever, same as the Abe government did with Diamond Princess passengers before the bus driver, school teacher, and others on the ship that were infected spread it to others -- and that was with a variant that had an R-naught of 3 or 4; Omicron may be as high as 50.

So, "taking no chances" of the horse running after leaving the barn door open and they've all left really doesn't mean much.

-2 ( +5 / -7 )

The world is not as dumb as the first time around.

2 ( +7 / -5 )

There is a big difference between being "in on a conspiracy" and fearing that you will lose your career if you do what you know is the right thing to do.

So you think is reasonable that everybody chooses their career and that is why they inject supposedly toxic things to their family and friends as well as hide supposedly beneficial drugs from them? Sorry but that is still unbelievable. Only people that would easily make this completely irrational choice would think the vast majority of the professionals in science and medicine would do the same. Rational people immediately see this is not realistic.

"Validation" as you say should be open to debate and criticism

And it is, and the conclusions is the same, just because you never read scientific papers do not mean the professionals don't do it either, there is simply no valid way for the anecdotal evidence from very small groups of patients to have the same importance than dozens and dozens of studies published that include much more detailed data from millions of papers, so clear this is that nobody has made any scientific argument to say it, even if they are completely free to do it.

What you are not happy with is how scientifically the arguments from the tiny minority have been completely demonstrated as invalid. Your problems with the Schopenhauer is assuming anything that is ridiculed becomes "truth" at the end, that is not the case and for the faulty arguments of antivaxxers it has been already proved so above any reasonable doubt.

 "this" means treatments for covid, who has "this" been debunked by actually? Experts with a wide range of views and experiences, or just those that support the prevailing narrative? 

You can answer this very easily, search for any medical or scientific institution of the whole world that can present data to say ivermecting or HCQ are effecitve for treatment. It should be obvious that if you can't find even one of those that means they are all on the opposite side of you in this matter, is the whole world wide enough for you?

What if vaccines (at least for covid) are not the best preventative or treatment measure all individuals?

Sure, prove it, empty speculations are not an argument, if somebody says "what if in 5 years every patient infected by COVID develops cancer?" does that proves anything.

Why have alternative treatments been so roundly condemned and muted by news and social media?

Guess what, it does not matter, alternative treatments demonstrated as worthless by science remain so no matter what news or facebook say about it, stop paying too much attention to secondary sources and go directly to the primary ones (peer reviewed, indexed scientific articles) they prove you wrong.

-8 ( +6 / -14 )

Just when you think Japan cannot go back more than it already has, they start banning permanent residents again from re-entering the country.

Let’s remember that they cannot ban Japanese from going and coming back from those same countries (“the constitution blah blah”), so the measure has absolutely no scientific sense. Unless of course, the sacred blood of the descendants of Amaterasu…I propose DNA-based border control.

3 ( +10 / -7 )

Without forgetting that only two of the 10 countries banned for residents of Japan to travel back from actually have confirmed cases of the new variant, while 10 other countries have confirmed cases but are not (yet) banned.

If the combo ‘ban only certain countries + ban only foreigners’ is not discrimination, I don’t know what is.

4 ( +9 / -5 )

So if 80 % of the population is fully vaccinated and 80% of new infections are among the fully vaccinated, what does that suggest to you?

It suggests that there are more people vaccinated, so of course there will be more infections in the vaccinated group. It's basic mathematics. Vaccines don't give 100% cover from infection. Nobody ever said they did.

The fact that most deaths and serious cases are in the unvaccinated population, what does that suggest to you?

1 ( +7 / -6 )

There is no description of the cases of local transmission to be in any way vaccinated in a higher rate than expected, so your argument is completely false.”

Actually, the information from a few days ago was that among those in South Africa who had omicron, half were vaccinated (within a population that is 1/4 vaccinated).

So you think is reasonable that everybody chooses their career and that is why they inject supposedly toxic things to their family and friends as well as hide supposedly beneficial drugs from them?

How do you know they vaccinate their family and friends? Why are so many health facilities world-wide understaffed because of the vaccine mandates? Despite great efforts from the authorities to pressure and silence doctors, as well as censorship from MSM and social media, we still hear from plenty of doctors what you refuse to accept.

-1 ( +5 / -6 )

The Japanese government should close the borders with China because they've already lied about Covid-19 and CCP will lie again if there is a new Covid variants.

5 ( +7 / -2 )

South Africa. Only 25% of the population is fully immunized. It will take 19 months, which is June 2023, before 70% of S.A.'s citizens are vaccinated. By any definition: that is a problem. A problem due to a lack of vaccine and a dysfunctional healthcare system, in a country on the other side of the planet.

Think about that: the Omicron variant originated on the other side of the planet.

And how did the Omicron variant arrive in Japan? Easy to answer: air travel.

Variants originate in the unvaccinated and cross over into any and all. Easy to surmise WHY the Omicron variant arose in South Africa.

The Omicron variant. Scientists and physicians, well acquainted with the path of Omicron, by virtue of almost two years experience with SARSCoV-2 and having treated actual cases of the variant, acting on informed opinion, surmise it is highly contagious, but less virulent. Though an opinion, it is based on experience and a knowledge of science and medicine. They are not bloggers or or talking heads or ideologues or politicians with an agenda. They know what they see. The facts of the variant will be determined within weeks.

At a minimum: 40% of the world's population are unvaccinated. That is approximately 3 billion individuals. So-called experts, put it closer to 4 billion.

Japan and other countries could have closed their borders in February 2020. It is a pandemic. That would have reduced it to essentially an epidemic in Japan. SARSCoV-2 arrived in Japan, January 2020, it was transmitted by a tour group from Wuhan, China. The route of transmission was tourism and air travel.

None-the-less, tourism and air travel were allowed under circumscribed conditions to continue unabated, well into the pandemic. This was a sop to the travel industry, which is an important and large factor in myriad economies wedded to globalization and an industrial model for tourism.

Vaccination is key. So is curbing routes of transmission. The key to the spread of the virus and its variants is international air travel and tourism. Stated simply: stay home - actually doing so is more complicated. Wait a year.

-3 ( +6 / -9 )

It's not ALL RESIDENT FOREIGNERS, it's those from 10 specific countries. So let's not panic yet.

That said, this isn't a good sign.

I desperately want to get back and see my 86-year-old mother. Now it looks as though the US may ask all travelers to do a seven-day self quarantine - so I'd get it coming and going. At least part of it is political theater to look more competent than the leader before them. In both nations.

5 ( +7 / -2 )

According to sources in SA, Omicron (an anagram of Moronic) is like having a cold, running nose and a slight headache. Hey, let's lock down the world again.

4 ( +9 / -5 )

The infected diplomat that was previously vaccinated did not have diplomatic immunity.

Trust the Japanese government to bring in the new omicron variant.

Really makes alot of sense.

-4 ( +3 / -7 )

It suggests that there are more people vaccinated, so of course there will be more infections in the vaccinated group. It's basic mathematics. Vaccines don't give 100% cover from infection. Nobody ever said they did.

Seriously.... Some of the genius mathematicians.

Of course if 80% or more of the population is vaccinated, more people newly infected, perhaps a majority, are going to be vaccinated. Depends on how effective or ineffective, the vaccines are.

There are mitigating factors either way but if the % of new infections is about the same as the % of the population vaccinated, it suggests the vaccines are utterly useless. It could be a little one way or another. Like 5~10% effective or they weaken ones immune system so that vaccinated are more susceptible to symptomatic Covid.

The fact that most deaths and serious cases are in the unvaccinated population, what does that suggest to you?

If I saw these facts, which I haven't anywhere, it would suggest the vaccines may be useless preventing infection but may have some efficay in preventing serious infection. In the USA and western Europe they are only making broad statements but not releasing any specific data. Israel and Singapore were releasing specific data and the Big Pharma vaccines proved just as ineffective in preventing death and serious infection as they are preventing infection.

-2 ( +6 / -8 )

Pay attention Re:- R Gallagher

please get your facts straight and not jump to fud that is being spread by the british government doing immense harm to the world economy and people out of work and bossiness closing or suffering.

The real actual fact is the new virus type did not start in south africa , but was detected by a south african doctor.

the british government just hyped it up and caused fear. It is all a manipulation of greed and money.

the new virus was already in holland before the south african doctor discovered it.

here is the reference report:-

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-59473131

so the question is why does other countries not close their borders from these european countries and most probably others where the new virus was already before it was discovered by the doctor?

people must not jump to conclusions and spread fear unnecessary.

4 ( +9 / -5 )

Actually, the information from a few days ago was that among those in South Africa who had omicron, half were vaccinated (within a population that is 1/4 vaccinated).

A link would be necessary, what information are you referring to? hopefully it comes with at least some epidemiological data, because obviously you can't just assume people at the highest risk of infection (like health care workers) are represented exactly the same in the vaccinated and unvaccinated populations, right?

How do you know they vaccinate their family and friends? 

They themselves? obviously not, but it would be terribly obvious if the more the people were related to health workers the less likely they would be vaccinated, just pretending this is the case when no information ever indicates this to be happening (even if it would be terribly easy to see) means you have no argument. Prove it and you would have an argument, if not that means it holds no water. Again, pretending that the tiny minority that refuse vaccines somehow represent the health workers is not true, if anything it is much more closer to the number of people that do other improper, wrong things in medicine (like giving antibiotics to viral infections). It would be understandable that those people that are on the lowest tiers of preparation and professionalism tend to make different mistakes including rejecting science.

There are mitigating factors either way but if the % of new infections is about the same as the % of the population vaccinated, it suggests the vaccines are utterly useless

That only applies if the population is vaccinated at random, which we already know not to be the case. If people at an elevated risk of infection are vaccinated preferentially, having the same rates of infection would still mean protection,. Now, are you going to present this data where this is supposedly the case?

If I saw these facts, which I haven't anywhere

Living in denial is a very ineffective argument. this is widely reported everywhere.

the new virus was already in holland before the south african doctor discovered it.

Your source says exactly the opposite of what you affirm.

However, while the two new samples reveal Omicron was in the Netherlands earlier than thought, they do not predate the cases in southern Africa. The variant was first found in a specimen collected on 9 November, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

-1 ( +5 / -6 )

Xenophobia is a two-way street. Hope I see more countries reciprocating Japan’s heavy handed and racist “solutions”.

I haven’t read of many Japanese students or workers whose lives have been destroyed by blanket-eternal bans on their foreign destinations. Didn’t the former princess just move to NYC?

If this is for safety then it should be applied both ways.

-3 ( +1 / -4 )

Strict policy would have been more appropriate for delta. First reports claim that omicron is rather benign.

PCR is enough to tell an omicron from delta, so its undetected presence is quite unlikely.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

GoodDec. 1  06:46 am JST

Get vaxxed, wear a mask, and stay vigilant!

you do what you have to in order to be safe. this is no time for fooling around.

snowymountainhellDec. 1  06:47 am JST

Way to distance himself from Suga yet did Suga finally choose to quit (?) or, as this article states:

Yoshihide Suga, who *was forced to resign **amid criticism over his slow response and focus on economic activities.” - *?

Suga was a SukkUp to the IOC and he got egg on his face. There could've been many more CoVid-19 deaths than there were after the Olympics.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

wtfjapanDec. 1 10:42 am JST

One last thing, Do you also think there is no science behind living a healthy lifestyle?

living a healthy lifesytle isnt the endgame of stopping this pandemic, its kills the elderly the most even if theyre healthy, your immune system just degrades with age.

what I find is the lack of empathy for the elderly by he anti vaxxers, they seem to think theyre freedoms right to choose somehow trumps the elderly's right to live,

Why does it not work the other way around when talking about abortions and the lack of empathy for the unborn when the women’s right to choose trumps the unborn's right to live?

0 ( +1 / -1 )

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