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© KYODOSuga declares state of emergency in Tokyo, Osaka region
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starpunk
Better call off the Olympics until next year if you know what's good for you.
Bob Fosse
Go for it. Or will your message be suppressed by the forces at work?
Suppressed again? Must be a conspiracy. Oh wait, no the video has been up for over 2 weeks. Guess not.
Zaphod
Brian Pangburn
Watching it now. At 3:50, he says "It is insanity to wear a mask outside. It is absolute insanity!"
Oh how I want a loudspeaker truck and drive around here....
NB: Better watch the video soon. It is safe prediction that Youtube will remove it soon because wrongthink violates their "community guidelines".
Darius
The government here just does these pointless things to show that they are doing something about it.
Stuart Ballantyne
The least they could do is shut down the prefectures or regions and protect the places like here in Miyazaki.
I can already smell the surfers about to arrive for the GW and spread their nasties over our town.
I’ve lost hope that the government will do their best to protect us!
compared to that of Australia, at least their government snaps into action immediately and is proactive.
memoryfix
letsberealistic
Doesn’t work even there. They have to do periodic “snap lockdowns”, as in Perth now. And that’s in a remote city in a remote country with a low population. Imagine elsewhere.
And life is not back to normal if you have to quarantine at your own expense at hotels for weeks every time you go outside the country. That’s soft prison.
No, I think just carry on with life and humbly accept that life goes on for most of us until our time to die also comes from whatever cause.
Brian Wheway
Yawn, why bother? just carry on as normal. can i surgest a bit more urging of some sort.
Brian Pangburn
Japan currently ranks 132 in deaths per million population. Comparatively speaking, that's very good.
https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/#countries
Its a shame this issue has been politicized here in the US: maybe we would have fared better had Fauci et al been honest with us (more money to be made from the vax than the cure, right Dr Fauci?).
BTW, here's a very good video from a doctor who's actually treated Covid: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdrRGmoTYv4
spinningplates
Premonition:
Japan 2025. Still amazed the rest of the world has recovered from Covid due to some kind of black magic trickery.
Remains one of the last bastions of infection due to only 35% of the population receiving vaccination: Government pledges to investigate why.
LDP astounded that the Olympic money grab flopped: increases tax burden on the populace.
Masks and half hearted 'slow the spread campaigns continue.
Cognac
cause you didn't see me, I NEVER wear a mask if I am outside
carpslidy
I am hoping big businesses will ignore these requests.
For example a large department store has share holders, tenants, staff and customers to worry about.
Why would they volunteerly accept 200,000 a day to close?
Especially when even the government admits the risk of infection is minimal.
purple_depressed_bacon
Apparently so. It's afraid of sun and alcohol hence the ban on alcohol all-day and only closing stuff down when the sun dips below the horizon.
S.I.
enough of these clowns.
we dont need a SOE. We just need to get on with life. vaccinate and stop killing the economy.
Matthew Knowles
Don't serve alcohol in bars.
Stop the trains running earlier.
Turn off the light.
Does covid only come out after dark in Japan?
Simon Foston
In other words, these state of emergency declarations are just empty gestures. Even if the number of infected people does go down it'll just shoot up again when the restrictions are lifted because politicians don't have a clue what else to do.
virusrex
Stop with the "asking", just focus on compensating people and companies that act responsibly, at least enough to give them an edge over those that insist on ignoring the SoE, and facilitate approval and distribution of vaccines, else results will be limited and slow.
kaimycahl
WOW many complaints here. Look at California they lead the US in infections and now they have it under control. The people in the state can get covid shots if they want them. You don't see people out with out wearing a mask. The mask and social distancing really helped california get control of this beast. IF the misplaced residents of Japan are going to complain because they can't have their way, its always the highway out!! Wearing is caring. Complaining solves nothing doing and cooperating helps.
purple_depressed_bacon
This is honestly pathetic. No, it's beyond pathetic. Any sense of urgency, patience and compliance they're hoping to get from the populace has died out after the 2nd SoE. The current "quasi SoE" is about as effective as trying to put a fire out with gasoline. What they should have done during the first original SoE was to revise their limp sad laws regarding lockdowns and declare a full, proper lockdown. While that goes on, they should thoroughly planned out a vaccine distribution program that doesn't move at the pace of glaciers. Seriously, this is asinine, the government's approach to the handling of the pandemic. They want to host the Olympics? Then they should have thought things out better. I honestly doubt it's going to happen now - they keep saying it's "safe and secure" but yeah, no. It's going to end up being canceled.
CDA
Such meaningless actions from a useless government.
Out for big business, elected by fools that think that Suga represents the people. Yeah right.
They should have acted months ago to get the virus under control, vaccines in the arms of the people that elected them, and back to work without all the propaganda spread by big business.
Then we would have not treated their actions with such cynicism.
falseflagsteve
I think if you are afraid of Covid you should follow your instinct and stay in. If you don’t believe the dangers are that high for you then go out and enjoy the quieter places. We are all free to make our own choices, mine is business as usual, that’s my affair and is nobody else’s concern. I don’t judge those wishing to stay in, it's their choice
Freshwind
This government is simply sadistic. Why couldn't they let the population enjoy their golden week first? Or announce this way in advance?
@monty
Buddy can you stop with the whole foreigners/Japanese mask thing? You sound like a broken record. What's your point? Do you want to keep track of maskers/ no maskers? Just live your life man, your comments scream weeb to me.
Tim Sullivan
Could the SDF give us our shots?
as_the_crow_flies
Or not even that- just give them a haircut, a change of clothes and a foot massage
farewell
The so-called "increased number of cases" would instantly drop if people would stop getting tested with that improper tool called the "PCR"! It was not created by Karry Mullis (Chemistry Nobel Prize) to test VIRUSES ! It only tests genetical material which will be found in just about anyone, therefore anybody can test "positive" (false positive obviously!) Plus in most countries where it's being used, they "amplify" the test up to 40times! So, yeah! Anybody can be "positive", but nobody is sick with this "strange virus"! Pneumonia, influenza, and other strain of colds seem to have disappeared during this 1 year ! Could it be because these illnesses have been renamed "novel corona virus" aka "covid 19"?
Could it be that this third "state of emergency" had other motivations than the "citizens' health concerns"?
If people would only use their brains once and a while...Just saying.
snowymountainhell
Maybe, @nandakandamanda 11:22am, you missed this one in Today’s “Business” section? - “Wealth of Japan's richest surges nearly 50% during pandemic”.
”Rearrangement of priorities’ or, a further “solidification of wealth” for a select few? Then, Yes. We’re really sorry for the other 99% struggling to get by.
snowymountainhell
Well said, @FigueroaNov 2:51pm. “Many” of the ‘people’, citizens and residents here, have done what was asked over the last year. “Some” were not followers because ‘rules’ were not properly outlined nor were they followed consistently by the ‘leaders’. - We hope you continue your studies wherever you are and can enter Japan as soon as possible.
Figueroa Nov
With or without International student still the numbers are high. I wish they could have at least let us in. Maybe we are better followers of the rules in the country in this Pandemic. We are also helping the Economy. Just my thought.
kurisupisu
I was personally economically damaged by these ‘lockdowns’ due to a largely elderly number of customers in my business.
Cancelled meetings suddenly impacted my business and decimated it.
Out of Japan now and in the UK, the economy is roaring.
I look forward to some extremely positive cash flow this year.
Steve
It looks like the fuzoku businesses will be unaffected, thank god!
Zarathustra
I can understand the rationale behind closing schools but the government doesn't look at the consequences. Parents cannot go to work as they have to stay home to take care of their kids which causes tension at work with employers and colleagues. Or they have to send their kids to a crowded daycare which defeats the entire purpose.
JJ Jetplane
Pretty much the only thing they are doing is shutting down for Golden Week. Meaning again, they only care about what people do in their free time and not the strenuous times of commuting to work in packed transportation and being stuck in an office and having meetings all day.
kurisupisu
The economic effects of lockdown will just cause more businesses to shut.
After GW the Japanese will be back in the crowded trains which don’t have any type of social distancing measures in place!
The economy is tanking and it is due to incompetence!
Tom Doley
Random start and end dates. Shouldn't they monitor the numbers first before they declare an end to it?
But I guess the jgov knows in advance, because the numbers are all made up anyway.
Addfwyn
@Zarathustra
I have never understood this change either. Is anyone honestly going to get to the busstop or train station and see their train is delayed and say "Oh golly gee, my usual train isn't running, I guess I will just go home and quarantine instead". Or will they cram in even tighter on the train because their office still is making them go in to work 6 days a week.
If you want to reduce commuters, that needs to happen from their employers first. If you make it harder for people to get to work, they still have to go, it is just harder.
DaDude
I am curious about school closures in Osaka. One person says schools will close in Osaka Prefecture, others say only in Osaka City then others say students will do online lessons in the morning/afternoon while have lunch at school. So which is it?
Zarathustra
Which will make the available buses and trains more crowded. I've been forced to take a taxi home every night since last spring as the bus company, in their wisdom, decided to bring forward the last bus by an hour.
ian
Same old same old comments. I'm just here to look for info on whether we have enough vaccine supply yet but it seems news are mostly about orders not deliveries
Situation in Japan is probably worst of all time but I'm still glad that the situation is nowhere near what happened in the US and other advanced and civilized western countries.
I share everyone s opinion that the government is absolutely incompetent and is doing absolutely nothing that helps to stem the spread of covid so the inescapable conclusion is that only the superior culture and genetics of the japanese are what's keeping this pandemic at bay in Japan.
Monty
@P.Smith
Nobody was and is saying here, that it is only the foreigners who are not wearing masks.
People here, including me, told already that we ALSO see japanese people without masks.
But you are giving day in, day out, ALL the blame to the japanese people ONLY!
Look at Seapig's post:
I spotted several foreigners without masks, and to be honest I don’t count, but not a single Japanese (assuming so by appearance anyway) not wearing a mask.
He has the same experience like me and other posters too!
But one more time again for your understanding: We all know that also japanese people are not wearing masks.
But we all here know, that also many foreigners are wearing not a mask.
And you can ignore that as much as you want, but that is a fact!
And that was my last response to your daiily blaming and Nonstop complaining about the japanese people.
Do the hustle
So, the last SOE lasted two months and only reduced the new cases by 60-70%. Then, the new cases shot straight back up within two weeks of the SOE ending. Now, they have gone for a two-week SOE? It’s not going to have any impact on the new case numbers.
Addfwyn
At this point in time the only thing that is going to help Japan is actually vaccinating people.
In most of the world I am a strong proponent of lockdowns and SOEs, but with how little Japan does with them (functionally nothing) there isn't honestly much point. I would sooner the government spend their thrice-daily meetings on figuring out how to apply vaccinations at this point. The red-light green-light approach to the state of emergency, and the lack of any real enforcement behind it, has just become nigh-on comical by now.
robert maes
Mr Todd, Japan receives zero yen or dollars from broadcasters. That money goes completely to the IOC. Local organisers income revenue is limited to ticketing and local sponsors.
nandakandamanda
Really sorry for businesses that are hard-hit. Others have actually made money out of this rearrangement of the world's priorities.
From day 1 it was obvious that this would happen. Remember catchphrases like 'flatten the curve' etc.?
In order to prevent the whole health system collapsing in one giant SARS-2 tsunami, we were advised to go for a series of mini waves. Some places like India may have miscalculated, though. Why, this is only the fourth or fifth wave so far.
And still Japan has had no lockdowns, only advisories. A vaccine or two might just help, though.
fish10
Good thing Kanagawa is so close on the train. Heard the taps are still free flowing. Absolutely pointless Koike!
TARA TAN KITAOKA
Correct decisions total shut down.
Texas A&M Aggie
If the national government and these governors are really serious about taking "targeted steps around the holiday period to stop the spread of infections by all means" they must shut everything down -- including all forms of public transportation -- during the upcoming SoE, secure enough medicine from China and Russia and order everyone under their control (both foreign and domestic) to get the required vaccines around the clock during the 4/25 - 5/11 timeframe. No excuses. Just obey the dictums of their elected leaders and medical/scientific experts; all of whom are, quite honestly, intellectually and morally superior than the average citizen. Those moves would go a long, long way in eradicating this debilitating and deadly disease.
Pukey2
More urging, requesting, asking. In other words, do as you please. Does the virus only come out in the open when alcohol (the drinking type) is around? We've had two very long SOE, let's have another one. Let's compare with that country which had a disastrous start last year - UK:
Stats from yesterday: Japan had nearly twice the number of positive cases (5,000 vs 2,700) and three times the number of deaths (54 vs 18).
And what makes it worse for Japan: Never had a lockdown, scant testing (to hide true figures in the run up to an event which most people don't want but will still have to pay for in taxes), a pathetic record on vaccinations. Dear lord, we're going round in circles. It's as if the government just doesn't want to learn.
theResident
Don't waste money on testing. Spend it on training people to give a jab. If the government can do that, we could be back to some sense of normality by the Autumn. Borders may remain closed , but we can stop this cycle of throttling businesses.
michaelqtodd
Olympics will go ahead and nobody in Japan need notice it. I am sure Japan has no desire to return the TV network billions it has already used. So they will hold 3 weeks of sport with around 10,000 people participating. People in Japan will watch it on TV just like the rest of the world
snowymountainhell
No opinion or rebuttal as we’ve been asked to discontinue our own bold statements yet, Yours are worth reposting @Michael Machida 10:16am from 10:07am, as is:
My fear is: How will this State Of Emergency affect people in ways that you cannot imagine? How many families will suffer? What will people do when the Japanese Government refuses to offer taxpayers compensation? I fear the worst is about to happen due to the poor decisions that the Japanese Government made and did not make. Look around people and if you see someone that may need your help, please help. Due to yet another State Of Emergency, people will be deeply depressed. Hurt. And unstable. This is the cause of not thinking ahead and only working for the rich who want the dear olympics, as the show must go on.
Michael Machida
But no one is in the mood for the olympics. Thats the freakin point.
michaelqtodd
Olympics can be held in Tokyo super easily. Look at the IPL in India right now games are going on every day, Cricketers from all over the world are playing. International coaches, broadcasters and more. Is called a Bio Bubble. Olympics will be run like that it is a breeze. India has about 3-4,000 people dying from covid a day plus probably that many again not being reported. Japan has nothing like that
Goodlucktoyou
Before set times for the viruses to exist, (ie infections start after 8pm.) Now we also have dates when the viruses will replicate.
theResident
...which is a joke. Shocking
snowymountainhell
It’s unfortunate for ALL @Whatsnext 10:01am. The Fightoing and palpable tensions have been Monteing for some time now. People are just very frustrated with the ineffectual government ‘measures’ from some time now.
theResident
UK scientists have tentatively said that is now a controllable endemic situation - pretty much down to vaccinations. Daily Telegraph, front page - Not some conspiracy rag.
Get on with pulling every retired nurse, every dentist and every pharmacist out to start getting jabs in arms. 39,500 elderly vaccinated as of Wednesday.
Whatsnext
Restaurants and bars should ignore these requests. If people want to take a risk and enjoy life, let them. If you want to hide in your house because youre afraid of getting sick, do as you please.
The japanese people are sick of the media and government fer mongering setting the precedent that they decide when and how you are allowed to enjoy life.
Give me freedom or give me death. Literally.
n1k1
So schools stay open ? YES ! Phew ...
Hideomi Kuze
Present PM Suga responds to Covid-19 epidemic over a year from when he was chief cabinet office secretary but his government's measures only depend on self-lock down of citizen or self-sacrifice of medical workers as ever.
Irrational skepticism against PCR test is still rampant among governmental experts or society, it makes response to plural corona virus variants difficult so much.
But Japan's news media who are 67th in world press freedom index cannot even criticize misstep or insufficiency of Suga government and cannot urge improvement.
"Fourth wave" of Covid-19 epidemic in Japan may shrink next month but 5th wave will come June or July.
snowymountainhell
Asking the @personiamnow 7:48am previously to be “a senior member of the city’s largest school” and would be most knowledgeable about both. What will be the status of both private and public schools in regards to the SOEs?
Highlander in Tokyo
I am still trying to figure out which variant gained the intelligence to know what time it is and whether the restaurant is serving alcohol. I have seen countless restaurants packed elbow to elbow at 5pm because everyone must finish by 8pm. The virus doesn't spread based on time of day and type of drinks served. It spreads based on close proximity/contact with people not taking appropriate precautions. Here's an idea...let the restaurants stay open and even extend their hours, but require limited occupancy improved precautions. Also, this roller coaster is not going to end if people keep getting forced (or shamed) into retreating into their tiny apartments. Every time an SOE ends everyone is so anxious to get out that they will all go out at the same time. It's time for the government to get its act together with some common sense approaches...and vaccines!
mb96768
Where are the vaccines?! Why is the entire burden being placed on the population? This is one aspect of the Japanese mentality that drives me crazy: risk and responsibility aversion. The government is so afraid someone might die from the vaccines, never mind the thousands that are already dead and the continuing spread of infections. Clearly, something is not working...the government!
Seapig
@P. Smith
I know you’ve stated this a number of times recently and it shows the huge difference in different areas. My experience here to the west of central Yokohama is exactly 180 degrees different. I spotted several foreigners without masks, and to be honest I don’t count, but not a single Japanese (assuming so by appearance anyway) not wearing a mask. And this wasn’t just this morning but the situation in general daily.
Chabbawanga
Get as many beers in as possible until Sunday then
Gobshite
Can someone explain in simple terms exactly what the state of emergency is? During the last one I went to the doctor, dentist, pharmacy, supermarket, conbini, tennis club, gym as normal .... masked naturally. The only thing I couldn't do was visit the community centre and library. Covid 19 doesn't like books maybe?
Ohh, the local junk restaurant had to close at 8pm, after which I could cross the road and visit the 7-11, as many times as I wanted.
Get on with vaccinations!!!
Derek Grebe
I hope somebody tells my boss about this. He's got me making a 90-minute commute every day to sit in the office so he's got people around he can show his bosses he's "managing".
Yotomaya
That might be exactly what happens even if (or actually because) the SOE is lifted. But that shouldn't be a problem to them. The IOC has a lot of experience ignoring issues in their host countries and "cleaning up" the sites before events.
anon99999
Wow these new stricter measures ( that MAY be introduced) are sure to work. The Japanese experts are just so on the ball that after all this time they still don't know many people with COVID do not get temperature or even any symptoms, yet they can spread the virus to others. Holding the Olympics at all costs gives new meanings to science.
gaijintraveller
The problem with this idea is that like GOTO travel it will encourage people to leave the big cities which will be in a state of emergency and travel to other areas. Also, as in the case of GOTO travel, it will spread the virus around the country.
Peter Neil
The patient needs an operation, but let's start with an aspirin.
dbsaiya
Another half arsed measure. Medical experts have already said a minimum of three weeks, this is only two weeks and some change. Some doctors have even said not to assign a date, but to use the number of daily infection decrease as a metric; flattening the curve if you will. They are saying that this can't be treated as in previous cases, they are looking at how the rest of the world has had to deal with the new variant. Government idiots. Emergency conveniently ends on the 11th and the government wants to put on a show for Bach who arrives on the 17th. This will provide some semblance of normalcy since it would be highly embarrasing for him to be arriving with ambulance sirens in the background and nightly news showing the ICUs being overwhelmed.
snowymountainhell
Ouch! @thepersoniamnow. Your business has to close again. What about the schools?
RoccoL
Why they can’t just test more and vaccinate is an enduring mystery. The virus isn’t hiding behind bushes or under tables in restaurants - it’s in the infected people! Test more people!
Loved this comment from the opposition party re testing published in the Asahi Shinbun this week.
lolwut
Is it really an emergency when you can preplan a start and end date?
Arrrgh-Type
Remember: a lot of this could have been avoided if there was any kind of competent vaccine policy and rollout. But there isn't. So we are where we are. Enjoy your Golden Week, everyone.
Space Cochonne
I suppose testing will also drop during GW so I wonder if they will be able to read any clear trend by 11th of May.
Jadded_but_alive
The virus will do what the virus wants. Follow the science not the numbers. Remember those days when there were flu epidemics?
You close and shutdown the source of infection from the known place of infections. You don’t shutdown whole societies. Hence, the economy. It only exacerbates the problem.
Wtf is a quasi state of national? A means to kowtow of holding the Olympics and pretending the elephant isn’t in the room.
HBJ
The first and most important step the government should be taking pre GW is telling people not to travel between prefectures.
thepersoniamnow
I am closing too :(
Looks like no compensation for businesses this round.
Mark
This is what happens when you DRAG your feet, and spend 3 months debating if and when to Vaccinate!!!
As they say in Japanese " MAYOOOOO" meaning I can't decide!!
Eyeblack
I feel the government is now acting evil and malicious towards the public.
AG
We all know the numbers will sharply decrease as by miracle, from the day this new State if Emergency starts - as it happened last SOE when in 4 weeks it decreased 10x - something that did not happen anywhere else in the world - even though the only measure was to request restaurants to close at 8PM.
Testing will stay flat at minimum numbers or with a ridiculous slight increase to pretend we’re doing something here to curb infections.
All in the name of the Olympic games which will happen at all costs, against 80% of the population who want the Games cancelled or postponed.
I was very excited for the Tokyo 2020 Games until Japan Government started manipulating testing, to consequently manipulate Covid numbers, from day 1 of this pandemic.
The whole “Olympic spirit” is gone long time ago now.
And regarding J-Gov prioritising public health... lost hope long time ago as well.
Cricky
So they held off serious efforts until the workers get their one week holiday? Then ruining any chance of pleasure in a pleasureless year of drudgery. Once again company’s are pandered to while workers get shafted. The workers suffer while the rich get richer, they are not even trying to hide their allegiance anymore. The government are and have never been there for the people who pay their wages.
snowymountainhell
No worries ‘til then. The virus will wait until Sunday.