Record 235 COVID-19 cases reported among U.S. forces in Okinawa

Lock them up.

Maybe they got it from. Japanese, while visiting bars, Japanese government is lying about cases, why are their more Japanese in hospital with Covid, than. daily cases

because of the progress in vaccinations in the military

And even so 235 record cases.

That says everything about the effectiveness of the Vaccine against catching the virus.

Unfortunately the US Military was so stupid to believe, that if you are vaccinated, you are safe.

But who can blame them.

We hear that day in day out from the so called experts, that if we take the vaccine, we are safe.

But cases like that, ongoing cases on cruiseships, more and more vaccinated people are getting infected and spread the Virus, shows us, that we are far away of being safe if we are vaccinated.

We hear that day in day out from the so called experts, that if we take the vaccine, we are safe.

Not once have I seen an expert claim we are safe if we are vaccinated. Better protected yes, but not safe.

They should test Japanese, that work on the base, how many of them are spreading the virus

If it’s Omnicron, that’s good. They’ll be over it in a few days and have greater immunity to Delta.

(Okinawa) hosts the bulk of the U.S. military facilities in the country.

Don't think that Okinawa hosts U.S. bases. The U.S. bases are planted in Okinawa regardless of Okinawa's wish. The warning signboard on the fence attests all this. Can a guest issue such warnings to a host?   

The corona virus pandemic may betray the fact that the Japan-U.S. military alliance is a farce and shenanigans after all.

Omicron pretty harmless, guys, and community spread is good for herd immunity.

That says everything about the effectiveness of the Vaccine against catching the virus.

It’s staggering to think that there are people living on earth who still think vaccination protects from infection after a year of news reports. A year.

it protects against serious symptoms and reduces hospitalizations and deaths. And about 40% have no symptoms, but can possibly spread it.

A year…

It is clear, Japan must kick the US out.

Literal troublemakers.

What a completely strange discussion. Blame the viruses, not any of us human beings. Do you or can you ever get that?

@Sven Asai

It has to do with one's hygiene.

It’s staggering to think that there are people living on earth who still think vaccination protects from infection

I 100% agree.

Therefore I pointed this out again as an example.

And because there are still many people thinking they are protected by the vaccine, they are behaving in their daily lifes without any additional personal protection.

And read another article here today in section travel.

It says clearly even fully vaccinated people, including boosters, are not safe, in that example, on cruiseships.

it protects against serious symptoms

Unfortunatel this is wrong!

Many people, even fully vaccinated got sick with serious symptoms these days, and some got also hospitalized.

This is what we also see now in reality. But unfortunately many people ignore that.

But of course, it is depend on how you define serious symptoms.

Blame the viruses, not any of us human beings

How?

Monty: Yes, there are breakthrough infections, but they are rare. 90% or more of hospitalizations for Covid symptoms are unvaccinated.

How many times does this have to be said? It's already been said hundreds of times for over a year.

What we don't know from this story is whether anyone has any or milld symptoms when tested? Are there any hospitalizations?

I’d like to know the frequency of testing for the military right now. Also, are they currently blanket testing every service member?

what if they did that for your workplace? How many positives would there be?

I just read that there are 80,000 Americans (service members and their families) in Okinawa.

Percentage-wise, it’s far higher than that of the host country they’re in. Still, it’s better that they’re here than not here.

@Peter

What we don't know from this story is whether anyone has any or milld symptoms when tested? Are there any hospitalizations?

Yes, that is correct.

The point is, how do you define seriously sick?

People are always talking about hospitalization.

But even at home you can be serious sick.

If I have a high fever, coughing, losing taste and smell, have to stay in bed for 2 weeks, coughing like crazy... that is serious sick for me.

And if the vaccine do not protect me from that, the vaccine is not enough effective for me.

Even you are vaccinated, you can get sick!

If it is serious or not, must be judged by the person himself.

Each person has a different feeling about sickness.

The other point is, like you also said, there are still people who are thinking the vaccine protects them in everything.

And that is wrong!

Best example; the US army!

There are 80 000 Americans (service member and their families) in Okinawa, and probably a lot of them are traveling around Japan for New Year Holidays.

Have fun with Omikron cases spikes in a week or two.

The government should order all the American troops and their families to return to the US.

It’s staggering to think that there are people living on earth who still think vaccination protects from infection after a year of news reports. A year.

And yet governments, through health passports and mandates, are still setting these ineffective, divisive policies as though these "vaccines" do protect from infection and community spread.

LOCK THEM DOWN!!!! ALL OF THEM. Yesterday!

Push the diseased occupiers into the sea.

I find the use of the Japanese Tori as a logo for the usmc base to be totally inappropriate - not to mention the letters usmc ar in the pathway of the Tori.

If the USA military cant protect themselves from the coronovirus then how is Japan supposed to value hosting respectively.

Irresponsibly is the only excuse the USA military has .

Trying to say its because they didn't know being vaccinated doesn't stop the spread of the virus is pathetic and ridiculous.

Regardless of any information they supposedly had to mitigate the spread of the virus the USA military is not being as precautionary as they would lead us to believe.

And especially inconsiderate when USA military are mingling with the public and using public international flights to arrive in Japan.

The pandemic has so far made the USA to look the most incompetent country to mitigate or control the virus.

the base is probably doing more daily testing that the whole of Japan!

don’t forget that Japanese people aren’t affected by COVID as badly as other people’s, due to the grand immunizations that they receive as children!!

Guaranteed the locals are not the slightest mask-averse. As opposed to a possibly large percentage of the Americans who will not wear masks, the least that decent people can do.

Fully vaccinated and still get infected and develop symptoms. What’s the point of going ahead with booster shots?

The problem for other non-Japanese residents is that this just encourages everyone to associate gaijins with bringing in Covid. So we have the US military walking in untested and everyone else having to quarantine and jump through hoops. If you are a student or otherwise not resident, you're not getting in at all. Remember that you cannot just turn off three million tourists a month without it affecting lots of people's incomes.

No way would I live in Japan without the presence of US forces here. I couldn't care less about the latest outbreak, seeing as I am triple vaccinated already.

Watching hordes of locals in a crush to throw their coins for hatsumode, it won't belong before 235 seems like nothing. Just because the military actually bothers to do a real count, shouldn't highlight culpability here.

Warispeace, what benefits do the US derive by being in Japan, Japan is defense as a sheep, they cannot defend against Ghosen

This is a hint of what would happen if the borders are open for visitors. It will be uncontrollable. Japan will probably be like the US now.

MeiyouwentiToday  10:11 am JST

Fully vaccinated and still get infected and develop symptoms. What’s the point of going ahead with booster shots?

Sigh. For maybe the 100th time, because the protection from the vaccine wains over time. I’ve decided that reading the internet will make you stupid.

Only because all of them were tested.

The warning signboard should be written: Restricted Area: COVID-19.

All latest research pointing to Omicron being less dangerous than a cold or flu! When is enough, enough??!!

Those with cognitive impairment - which denotes an inability to learn by identifying factual information from propaganda or simple lies, continually assert that vaccines are ineffective and the omicron variant is akin to a mild cold. Those assertions are incorrect. Hospitals in the USA, are at capacity because of the omicron variant. Add to that, over 90% of those hospitalized are unvaccinated. Myriad scientific journals and peer reviewed studies indicate Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are over 90% effective.

The US military, currently occupying Japan, exhibit a callous disregard for the native population. No testing policy until as of late nor restricting all personnel to base. The USA has the highest death rate and percentage of SARSCoV-2 infections on the planet. Those in the US military are not typically noted for an abundance of intelligence or awareness. Which carries over into lacking behavior appropriate to an ongoing pandemic.

This is actually worse than most people realize. The US Military population in Okinawa is about 40,000 while the local population is 1,400,000 (ratio 35). The daily infection rate of 235/40000 would be 8225/1400000. And at last check, they still don't wear masks on-base.

Still, it’s better that they’re here than not here.

I was told by average joes living in Kanto studio apartments though that they should not be here and that China/North Korea are fictitious threats.

voiceofokinawa

Okinawans are tolerating humiliations which mainland Japanese cannot endure.

Can a guest issue such warnings to a host?  

The Japanese government put up those signs. Oh and let me guess, you can just walk on to a JSDF base because you are Japanese right?

@NOMINATION

True and nice.

@P. Smith

Proof?

@Yrral

The US marines who run with their tails between their legs against the Taliban?

Oh I wish this farce is over soon.

Let's not blame either Japanese or American, both are human. Let's just try to make some solution to minimise the issue and be more alert, Everyone.

Yubaru,

The Japanese government put up those signs.

The Japanese government put up this signboard?  Really? Read the sign:

"This area has been declared a restricted area by authority of the Commanding General. Unauthorized entry is prohibited. All persons and vehicles entering hereon are liable to search. Photographing, making notes, drawings or graphing representations of this area or its activities are prohibited. Any such materials found in the possession of unauthorized persons will be confiscated. " 

Of course, the budget to erect these signs must have been appropriated to by the "sympathy budget" which the Japanese tax-payers shoulder.

"This area has been declared a restricted area by authority of the Commanding General. Unauthorized entry is prohibited. All persons and vehicles entering hereon are liable to search. Photographing, making notes, drawings or graphing representations of this area or its activities are prohibited. Any such materials found in the possession of unauthorized persons will be confiscated. " 

You know just as everyone else that the Japanese government put up those signs.

Your attempts to make people think otherwise are childish and ignorant at best!

Yubaru,

Let other posters or participants on this thread judge if my post is childish and ignorant of the fact.

Let’s test the hundreds of thousands going through the shops at Tokyo station today (not even taking the train!) and see how many positives. Now the scapegoat has been found, American soldiers, and nobody cares about what happened to the 26,000 people in the stadium with the Japanese confirmed cases.

No test, no credibility.

The stigma of this country from people like Iron Lad saying it’s a matter of “hygiene” (the most studied excuse for marginalization in social studies) is why people don’t get tested even now that it’s relatively easier and cheaper. My best friend is in the USA to see his son: feels a bit strange, goes to the pharmacy, rapid test, positive, immediately isolates at home, in five days as fully vaccinated can go out and of course will confirm it’s negative in the meantime. Here in Japan, double vaccination, triple negative test before departure and on arrival, and 14 days of quarantine risking deportation if found outside. In the meantime, Japanese cannot be made to respect any quarantine if they don’t want to, but their “hygiene” should be the guarantee?!

The sign at the Camp Hansen Gate has nothing to do with COVID. Signs with the same wording are at all the gates and similar ones are posted frequently along all the fence lines. Signs like these have been up sing 1945. Yes, they are paid for by the Japanese government (aka Taxpayers) just as all other base costs are. What they really need is a sign facing in explaining the rules for behavior off base and the punishment for disobeying. Something like if you don't like the fence around you, you surely won't like the bars at the jail.

That says everything about the effectiveness of the Vaccine against catching the virus.

Monty, very ill-informed here.

I'm not going to get into how flawed your conclusion is. The truth is that there are a lot of anti-vaxers in the Marines.

This is actually worse than most people realize. The US Military population in Okinawa is about 40,000 while the local population is 1,400,000 (ratio 35). The daily infection rate of 235/40000 would be 8225/1400000. And at last check, they still don't wear masks on-base.

Add in Dodds, contractors, dependents etc, it adds up to 80,000 or so.

Yubaru (Jan. 2 02:54 pm JST),

Oh and let me guess, you can just walk on to a JSDF base because you are Japanese right?

"Off-limits" or "no trespassing" signs are ubiquitous and legitimate as far as the compound is your own. So, private organizations or companies may have such signs in front of their gates.

Your logic is that U.S. forces have the same right to put up such warning signs. Note, however, that the USFJ are supposed to be quests here and using the bases as guests, according to the U.S. government.

Now, my question is: Can a guest issue such warnings to a host?

Now, my question is: Can a guest issue such warnings to a host?

Overly simplistic and childish question. But since you obviously are oblivious to it, yes they can, just like you can not come into my house without permission! Lucky you arent in the US, if you tried either, you could very well and legally too, lose your life because of your misguided logic!

The government has leased those bases to the military just as I own my house, you do not have any right of access to either, without proper authority or permission, just like the base workers can go on base, as they have been granted access and permission.

Your logic is that U.S. forces have the same right to put up such warning signs. Note, however, that the USFJ are supposed to be quests here and using the bases as guests, according to the U.S. government..

Wrong once again, the USJF didnt put them up, the Japanese government did Dont try to make an argument that does not exist, it's a moot point once again.

"Off-limits" or "no trespassing" signs are ubiquitous and legitimate as far as the compound is your own. So, private organizations or companies may have such signs in front of their gates.

Quite so, but you are Japanese, so why cant you go on the JSDF bases? Same reason, you are not authorized, and according to the Japanese government, you arent authorized on the US bases either.

In your further digging of a deeper hole, you also fail to realize that not all American's living in Okinawa have access to the bases, and can not enter them, just like any other Japanese civilian or otherwise, unless they do have proper authorization.

Record numbers in the US, would be surprised if it's different here

They even had to be told by someone from the Japanese govt to test incoming personnel within 24 hours, is this true?

Today's Ryukyu Shimpo (local newspaper)'s front page headline: "Spreading omicron variant due to U.S. forces; Gov critical of USF Okinawa's poor measures against it"

If you do, there's no difference between you and a crime syndicate that is squatting on private land with a sign reading "off-limits".

Do us all a favor and try to stop sounding so senile.

Nearly all U.S. personnel fall under a vaccine mandate while the 1,000's of base workers do not. Let's review again "who" poses the biggest risk to spreading the virus.

Nearly all U.S. personnel fall under a vaccine mandate while the 1,000's of base workers do not. Let's review again "who" poses the biggest risk to spreading the virus.

Japan has never made masks, nor the vaccination, a mandate. No need to, as most people do it because it's the right thing to do, and I will bet any money that the overwhelming majority of the base workers are in fact fully vaccinated.

80% of the country is fully vaccinated. So, your assumption is off the mark.