Tokyo raises healthcare alert to highest level after virus cases soar to 822

I see Tokyo government not even learning from their own findings yet; they're acting too slow.

The denial bubble is about to burst though and they're gonna regret it.

Go to Hospital.

Hahaha,,,'What's happening?'

Alert level 4 dude.

'The virus is spreading.'

Tokyo raises healthcare alert to highest level

Calling the situation a different name means squat when that is literally all that changes.

Hope no other prefecture goes to red also, but doubtful

The number is the result of 10,909 tests

Highest amount of tests since the beginning of the pandemic.

Here in Osaka the alert went to Red (already finished?), but nothing changed in practice here xD it's all a facade. They don't know people are surprised by this number (still the testing is relatively very low), as they probably still think they are immune as they are the cleanest people on Earth, with the highest human and cultural standard, and speak the word PEN without air-explosions like foreigners do.

Give me a break.

Yes, you must add the hospitalized that don't have severe symptoms

Typo: "They don't know people" - "They don't know what they are doing. I think the Japanese people are surprised..." :)

Don't worry, folks - remember the words of our overlords yesterday:

"We will speed up (the process of) considering the matter"

Just don't think about cancelling the Golden Fleece of the Olympics. Too much concrete been poured for that. People want their slice.

Koike - too slow, too indecisive, too arrogant...

Eh? 66 people in hospital with this virus, and the healthcare system can't cope? Something here doesn't add up.

Absolutely!

How many hospitals are in Tokyo and how many hospitals can take patients with the Corona Virus?

Even if only 5 hospitals can take Corona Patients, means about 13 beds each.

That should be absolutely no problem.

Also the way how amount of tests, amount of positive cases, amount of beds....is reported is completely confusing.

Yesterday 1800 tests, but 672 positive cases.

Today 10900 tests (almost 9x higher) but "only" 822 positive cases.

But anyway...just go ahead with your best personal prevention and you will stay safe.

Quick! Assemble the panel of experts for 8 meetings to discuss urging people to consider things!

密 ... and how many of the 3 C’s are not being followed in the committee meeting picture?

What a nonsense and just an appearance to wear trainers while discussing covid measures that they already placing extremely slowly.

This is not an earthquake or a typhoon that you will go outside to inspect ruins or destroyed places, as Osaka and Aichi mayors doing the same, what is the purpose of wearing trainers?

@Marcelito

But look at the Ratio...

How is that possible?

Yesterday 1800 tests, 672 positive cases.

Today 10900 tests 822 positive cases.

9100 tests more but only 150 more cases.

According to yesterdays report with just 1800 tests, we should expect today much more positive cases than "just" 822 with a test amount of 10900, right?

The report of the amount of tests compare to the amount of positive cases is too "strange".

"Reducing the number of (COVID-19) patients will be the only way to go."

How?

Hope this lot in the photo got kicked out of the izakaya or hostess bars at 10.

Plenty of meetings coming up. Got to stay fresh.

Why are they all dressed like factory workers ready to get back on their welding machine? I understand their love for the uniform but come on...

The report of the amount of tests compare to the amount of positive cases is too "strange".

 

I wrote my theory yesterday that comparing exactly with a 3 days gap is not accurate, it is just the way of reporting toward the media, but my post was strongly downvoted for no reason.

Wednesday’s results were not only the results of Sunday’s tests, but also included some Monday’s and Tuesday’s tests. It is the same today as the results does include tests made not only on Monday, but also Tuesday and Wednesday.

Eh? 66 people in hospital with this virus, and the healthcare system can't cope? Something here doesn't add up

It is 66 severe cases. There are many others who are not categorized as severe who are also hospitalized.

@Monty, it works differently than in other countries here (although I am not saying in a good way), but e.g. yesterday's tests were - according to official Japanese logic - from Sunday the 13th, when most clinics are closed. Then probably only very sick people can get tested, and for those I learned the tests are free (when you are very sick only), which I guess explains the ups and downs in ratios. Especially in the case of Japan (but also in other countries) it is better to look at 7-day averages to see an increase in ratio, which has been going up in Tokyo from about 3.3% early Nov, to about 7% now (middle of Dec).

I am not sure, but it sounds like you are implying that with "9100 tests more but only 150 more cases" things are going in the right direction? I am not following most of your logic on this site to be honest.

Calling the situation a different name means squat when that is literally all that changes.

Couldn't have said that better

Threre are 1960 corona patients hospitalized in Tokyo as of 12/16

Reference:

https://stopcovid19.metro.tokyo.lg.jp/cards/number-of-hospitalized/

virus cases soar to 822

822 "cases" (not deaths, "CASES") in a metropolis of 20 million people. What is "soaring" here? I am getting tired of this increasingly ridiculous hype.

It turns out denial is not the best strategy during a pandemic. Alert levels mean little, but there's no legislation to enforce a lockdown. However, it seems that adequate accessibility of testing would have been more effective than that. But testing would mean higher numbers, so there we see where the governments priorities lie.

We might not have seen the worst yet. I hope healthcare workers get the support they need and don't get stigmatized (as some have during the pandemic already).

Time to take some measures or just keep “raising the alert”?

The world is watching, numbers increasing and no measures taken.

Confidence to send athletes and general public to the Olympics: zero!

what is the purpose of wearing trainers?

They might be better off with training wheels.

822 "cases" (not deaths, "CASES") in a metropolis of 20 million people. What is "soaring" here? I am getting tired of this increasingly ridiculous hype.

Not interested at all in the possibility of the health service being overwhelmed?

Just hype?

822 "cases" (not deaths, "CASES") in a metropolis of 20 million people. What is "soaring" here? I am getting tired of this increasingly ridiculous hype.

At least one Guy who understands the situation.

Even Tokyo has 82.200 cases (what I guess, because like I explained above, the comparison ratio of test amount and positive cases makes no sense)...is 0.5%.

Lower than 1%!

That doesn't gives me sleepless nights.

we usually buy enough toilet paper for two weeks only but if you are short you should stock up. Stocking up on dry grains also not a bad idea. nothing crazy but an extra bag of rice sitting aside is a nice reassurance.

Not surprising. Influenza and cold infections always rise in the winter time. Covid is a coronavirus transmitted the same way as Influenza coronavirus.

Lockdown lite has failed. They should look at Australia, NZ and Taiwan to see what worked.

Go To Triple Figures

4 figures* Lol. I gotta layoff those mid day whiskeys.

Monty is correct.

Are there any plans to add any temporary beds for this emergency? Not hearing anything. How about setting up tents in Tokyo Dome for example?

I expect the numbers will keep rising after New Years.

The government response is unconscionable.

Reduce the number of COVID1 patients? Is he just hinting at something I don't know? Any ideas?

The comment was also what I questioned above.

Anyway,I guess what he is hinting at is that it's absolutely necessary now that they(the govt) implement concrete measures to slow down the spread of infection because the healthcare system can't take anymore

@Monty, I completely disagree. Even using your own logic, a daily "low" 0.5% daily positive rate would indicate a 100% coverage in about 200 days, and with a 2% death rate, 400.000 people in Tokyo would die. But this is not even the reality. In reality, with the "low" 822 (significantly underestimated) numbers, hospitals are getting full and if this continues (and we are on track to that point now) hospitals won't be able to treat other diseases too, or detect diseases at an early stage and start treatment. This is the main problem of indirect deaths by the COVID pandemic and is an extremely dangerous problem the world is facing today. Think about cancer and hundreds of other diseases left undetected and untreated. With hospitals getting fuller, this is already the reality, just read any scientific article about this.

Reduce the number of Covid patients admitted is the only way to go...

I’d laugh, but aren’t they already throttling admissions? Ambulance rides from hell.

Tokyo-m

The number of infected people hospitalized with severe symptoms in Tokyo is 66

Eh? 66 people in hospital with this virus, and the healthcare system can't cope? Something here doesn't add up.

Each severe case needs a team of about 20 people: nurses and doctors. Does it start to make sense?

Hospitals can only fit a small fraction of the citizens, they're not meant to cater for everyone at the same time.

P.S. Also - just WHERE is the social distancing in the picture, yet again? Practice what you preach, leaders. Please.

It is unfortunate but I am still going to the pub every day after work with my colleagues. We finish drinking at 22:00 however as instructed by the government

Sorry, I know the situation is grim but just can't help it

Why they don't just implement a total lock down like any other countries?

I know it's not easy for them to implement buy hey, not all people will follow them

if all they can do is please people!!

Someone looks very delightful and excited.

Wear masks in public and at work. No excuses.

https://tenor.com/9DCc.gif

No social distancing at that meeting. Just 3,000 bed allocated for Covid patients in Tokyo, one of the biggest cities in the world. They couldn’t run a piss up in a brewery.

Koike - too slow, too indecisive, too arrogant...

Imagine how it would be if old blinky was still in charge.

The severe cases and deaths are the proper way to measure how bad it really is though. Everyone else has the equivalent of the flu, keep a sense of proportion so you don't start panicking

Panic is not an appropriate response ever, but looking at the death rate right now is as if this is the worst that could happen is as invalid.

People follow the daily cases because the number reflect how well the spreading is being contained, having 800 cases per day, every day for the last 3 months would not be a sign of alarm if the health services can hold; having 800 cases if a week before were 600, and the week before that 500 means the cases are getting out of control, if the people in charge of the hospitals say that we are at the limit of possible medical attention that mean that many cases that fall now into "hospitalizations" would turn into deaths.

Its like having a septic tank filling faster and faster, and close reaching the limit. Saying "we will be fine, until now not even a liter has leaked out" would be missing completely the point.

822 cases in a metropolitan area with, what?, 23 million people.

Gawd. I wish we had those numbers in CA.

Must be nice. Living in a civilized country.

AG

Time to take some measures or just keep “raising the alert”?

The world is watching, numbers increasing and no measures taken.

The whole town is masked, and the govt pays bars to close at 10. What else do you want? In the event, a couple of 100 "cases" in a city of 20 million.... are we really falling for this hype??

What is the population of Tokyo in 2020?

37.393 million residents

The Greater Tokyo Area is the most populous metropolitan area in the world, with more than 37.393 million residents as of 2020.

@AG: I agree with you but your population numbers are off.

The whole town is masked, and the govt pays bars to close at 10. What else do you want? In the event, a couple of 100 "cases" in a city of 20 million.... are we really falling for this hype??

So, what do you think of the idea of hospitals becoming overwhelmed?

I can understand that this is a problem for your narrative, but you must see that it isn’t a minor detail.

 I am still going to the pub every day after work with my colleagues.

Why??

You know things are getting bad when you see them change from suits to overalls.

822 positives from 10,909 tests. Imagine if they just tested to capacity for a few days.

This shouldn't be a surprise to anyone. Things have just been getting gradually worse for months now, but they haven't been able to 'see' it because they haven't tested enough people on a regular basis...oh and they've been promoting a national travel campaign.

I am afraid Tokyo will end up with another declaration of the state of emergency. Infection is clearly spreading, but neither Japanese government nor Koike are taking any substantial countermeasures while they don't want to slow economic activities and/or compensate companies for cooperation. If they do not take actions now, death toll will spike shortly.

What number is now considered an "obashooto"?

822 "cases" (not deaths, "CASES") in a metropolis of 20 million people. What is "soaring" here? I am getting tired of this increasingly ridiculous hype.

Yes, very true, but the hysteria is alive and well. Make sure you're all stocked up on toilet paper.

 I am still going to the pub every day after work with my colleagues.

Why??

@Cleo, this is an interesting question. One possible answer is that the government has not asked us to stop, and indeed senior figures in the government are not staying home.

I'm all for complying with government requests for public health, but the best I can glean from the colossally mixed messages we've been getting is "avoid large groups (unless you're the prime minister), go home at 10pm (which most places seem to be complying with) and travel all over the country (except at the time when people are actually on holiday)"

It is not unreasonable to act within the guidelines that the government has proposed.

It is not unreasonable to act within the guidelines that the government has proposed.

No, but it’s colossally stupid, though.

we usually buy enough toilet paper for two weeks only but if you are short you should stock up. Stocking up on dry grains also not a bad idea. nothing crazy but an extra bag of rice sitting aside is a nice reassurance.

There’s plenty of TP. You can always use the bidet or washlet.

It is not unreasonable to act within the guidelines that the government has proposed.

The mistake you are making is presuming the government is being honest, and knows what it is doing.

Experience should tell you that the Japanese government loves to play things down, and is stubborn enough not to change course or ask actual experts for advice (see the handling of the nuclear 'non' meltdown for one recent example of it's gross incompetence).

I would take anything the government says with a dump truck worth of salt.

Look at all these old people.

No offense to being old, but in this line of work, what about a younger and fresh thinking mind with a reaction speed not comparable to snails.

I’m curious about who sets the criteria for the highest level. Do they have to have over 800 cases in a day to pay attention?

Vaccinated and financially motivated medical institutions will solve the current problem.

And this really isn't impossible to achieve, even now.

I surely can’t afford it, but the people who can and are still happily shopping at Ginza should better invest in their reservation or buying of a personal ICU bed with additional ECMO. That’s not an obligation, of course not, only a friendly advice. And for the big rest I wonder what strong sleeping pills those have been , as nothing has been planned and made in the health system regarding an increase of corona treatment places at health care facilities since January, what the early panic now with still such low numbers obviously indicates.

@saiaku

Look at all these old people.

No offense to being old, but in this line of work, what about a younger and fresh thinking mind with a reaction speed not comparable to snails.

awareness and openness towards new(er) methods, devices, etc. etc. to utilize.

( plus mark missing from the previous comment - apparently the site won't publish them: " [plus mark] awareness and opennes towards new(er) methods, devices, etc. etc. to utilize."

It is not unreasonable to act within the guidelines that the government has proposed.

Do you listen to the guvmint (who by all accounts don't know what they are doing and don't follow their own advice) or do you listen to common sense ?

Stay out of crowds as much as possible, avoid enclosed spaces, wear a mask in public when you're in spitting distance of another person, wash your hands. Nowhere in that is 'spend hours drinking and wassailing every day in the pub'.

Why are 2 guys and 1 lady being punished and not awarded a matching jacket ?

Why are them even bothering having a bunch of spectators with no mic in the room as they could just as easily have them watching from their office on Intranet thus allowing more room for the people potentially allowed to speak if they really do not want to do video-meeting ?

Glad that since a few day, Koike picture are showing her masked, is going past the 800 mark going to force a mask upon Suga face too ?

PLEASE total lock down.

So............Moribund.

Said yesterday and I will say it again.

There is no other word for it.........that is printable.

Just look at that photo.........man,you just know that they are going through the motions just like they did after 3/11.

The whole country is moribund as it comes.

Nothing ever changes......just the next group of oyaji get their turn to run Japan into the ground.

I first washed upon these shores just as the dynamic Japan that nearly became the world's biggest economy was about to peak.

The place was so vital,vivid and unstoppable......so I thought.

Fast forward 30 years and the place is so moribund it beggars belief.Even the apathetic electorate have given up on the 'elite',there are poor people all over the place,the seniors reign supreme during the working hours......they are everywhere.

Thank goodness my daughter is a well-rounded young woman who is looking to the future and that future isn't in JP........Jurassic Park.

Green stickers in front of each shop have been effective.

Thanks for this piece is art.

No social distancing at that meeting. Just 3,000 bed allocated for Covid patients in Tokyo, one of the biggest cities in the world. They couldn’t run a piss up in a brewery.

That's the point !

That's why these cases numbers are alarming. Do not take the raw contamination numbers, they have to be compared with the capacity of the country of handling serious cases.

In that regard, Japan is way behind other developed countries.

822 cases in a metropolitan area with, what?, 23 million people.

Gawd. I wish we had those numbers in CA.

Must be nice. Living in a civilized country.

They don't test here like they test in CA. If they did it would probably a pandemic out of control in Tokyo.

822 cases in a metropolitan area with, what?, 23 million people.

Gawd. I wish we had those numbers in CA.

Must be nice. Living in a civilized country.

They don't test here like they test in CA. If they did it would probably a pandemic out of control in Tokyo

822 "cases" (not deaths, "CASES") in a metropolis of 20 million people. What is "soaring" here? I am getting tired of this increasingly ridiculous hype.

Yeah absolutely. Just look at the US where they are on track for more than half a million dead - at best - from this. Totally this is just hype, no need to worry about this stuff spreading out of control, especially since reading about it is making people like you tired.

No Problem, just ""Go Travel"" and things will be alright.

And over 3,200 new cases for the country today, which is also a new daily record.

the rubes in office arent even distanced. how do you expect the people to?

this is such disappointing news to me.

Japan needs to stop saving face and learn the true reality.... let them get get hit hard with high level of coronovirus. People only learn from mistakes. Let it be. Sorry to say but time wake up and smell the roses. Olmypic hope is not God's hope' Wake da F up

Updated data on people hospitalized with coronavirus. In Tokyo Prefecture.

https://stopcovid19.metro.tokyo.lg.jp/en/

Number of hospitalized patients 1,952 persons

Statistics for December 17（Day-over-day change: -8 persons）

It’s only about risk literacy. The risk data for Japan is currently the following: 1 in 690 gets infected and 1 in 47,000 dies from coronavirus. So just additionally to hygiene rules and public advices like 3C and so on , avoid also at all costs staying at places for more than several minutes that come significantly near those numbers of crowded people. Don’t misinterpret it like 345 people = 50% risk... That’s much higher then. Of course you have to apply standard deviation considerations and then lay an exponential function graph over that spectrum.

whoxareyou trusting your life with? There is not enough COVID trials to prove every point you just stated. I would beleive any media or any medical profession as they just know have enough data since the outbreak to prove anything. its a 3 ring circus dude

Tell the hospital workers to grow backbones and show fortitude?

Nope, I haven't seen one single health care worker here complain about their job or humiliate themselves with Tim-Tok dance videos. They'd be fired, and rightly so.

Those who need a backbone and fortitude injection more than the Pfizer one? I think you know...

How many levels of alert are there? Is there actually one that means the Japanese government will have to stop kicking the can down the road and actually take action? Or just keep everything open as usual, schools, offices etc etc

How many levels of alert are there? Is there actually one that means the Japanese government will have to stop kicking the can down the road and actually take action? Or just keep everything open as usual, schools, offices etc etc

The one that is ineffective and causes loss of life and livelihood? That doesn't exist in Japan.

You'll have to move to either the UK or California for some of that.

Tell the hospital workers to grow backbones and show fortitude?

Nope, I haven't seen one single health care worker here complain about their job or humiliate themselves with Tim-Tok dance videos. They'd be fired, and rightly so.

How about the inability to treat patients duress to overcapacity? Just leave them to die? Tell them to grow a backbone and show fortitude?

Be the first to deal with the overwhelmed hospitals question. It’s crying out for and answer. Have some backbone and fortitude.

How about the inability to treat patients duress to overcapacity? Just leave them to die? Tell them to grow a backbone and show fortitude? 

Be the first to deal with the overwhelmed hospitals question. It’s crying out for and answer. Have some backbone and fortitude.

The hospital capacity line is one tried in every country since last spring. Funny how the hospitals seem to weather the storm every time after much gnashing of teeth and histrionics.

Remember the Great Thanksgiving Death Spiral (TM) that was guaranteed to happen? Funny how CNN et al have suddenly moved on without comment almost a month later..

Seriously, no one is forcing you to leave your bedroom.

Give me your address and Ill swing by once a day in a hazmat suit to drop off a combine bento. For a few extra yen, Ill even cut the crust off your sandwiches and rub your back.

They don't test here like they test in CA. If they did it would probably a pandemic out of control in Tokyo

If that's true then the converse should be true also.

If CA test like they do in Tokyo then they should be able to put covid under control.

Maybe you should tell CA to reduce testing as you seem to believe that that's the reason for the low number of deaths in Tokyo.

It's worrying to see the numbers going up.

The classic/lazy way to describe Japanese society is that there is harmony or consensus, the so-called "wa". People who break it get hammered down, like the proverbial nail that sticks up. So my question is where is the hammering about this? People's behaviour affects how the disease spreads, and thereby protects, or puts other people at risk, especially if it causes chaos on the medical system that protects us all. So, there is plenty of justification for hammering, especially since we have seen very hard lockdowns in societies that place a much stronger emphasis on personal freedom than Japan. We may have "recommending" and "urging", but ultimately it's just do what you want and never mind. It's only two weeks' time, but if you want to go to the shrine at 12am on Jan 1st or sometime during the following days, away you go. They will all be open and they'll be handing out mikan oranges and amazake and whatever to the hundreds or thousands of people who turn up just like every other year. All you have to go with the hope that other people will have stayed at home.

Suga's popularity is sinking faster than a lead weight thrown into the ocean.

He owns this GoToTravel.

My question is what exactly is the coronavirus monitoringring committee?

There seems to be an awful lot of people in that meeting.

I love how they keep switching the names of the superlative for the current alert. Last week it was "highest level", then the next day "raised to maximum". Now we're back to "highest level" again. But hey, I guess when the "alerts" mean absolutely nothing in terms of enforcement or action, they can keep saying "Nope, TODAY is the highest! Right now... oh wait... what's that? I have just received news that we are now at the Supa-Highest Maximum!"

You know it's serious when they don those uniforms.

Clearly Japan has no idea how to tackle this problem.

well, perhaps this will take them down a few pegs if nothing else

The world needs a total 14 day lockdown

New set of work jackets wit green shoulders will work, , why not waste billions on those stupid thing, just liek the 2011 disaster , everyone had to have a jacket to show they were taking part in it and were on the team.

But lets not use the wasted money in doing something actually constructive lets just by new jackets so we look cool, you know like a team..............

pathetic mentality is rampart and out of control thats why nothing ever gets done., they spend 9 months deciding on the color of the team jacket,

So glAD I DO MY BEST TO TAKE CARE OF MY SELF AND NOT RELY ON THESE NUMPTIES TO LOOK OUT FOR US OR ME OR ANYONE i KNOW.

Guy on the train, next to me, honking and hawking (thankfully only 2 stops) going to work.

Posdibly just a cold but it had me wincing...

Suga's popularity is sinking faster than a lead weight thrown into the ocean.

He owns this GoToTravel.

No, it is Nikai the kingmaker who is don of the tourism industry and singlehandedly made Suga PM that Suga bears allegiance to and not the people of this country,

Suga is nothing but a proxy it is Nikai who is calling the shots behind the scene.

@Kurisupisu...Guy on the train, next to me, honking and hawking (...

Yeah everyday I also encounter similar people... it’s just sad that these people didn’t get tested and despite knowing that they can spread it to others, they still use trains! It’s just pathetic!!!

Not living in Tokyo, the fall in cases in Hokkaido is good news. It gives hope that we wont see a constant upward trend all winter in the smaller cities.

Regarding Tokyo, 66 icu cases and it's an emergency? I'll believe it when all those doctors are too busy treating patients to be on tv morning, noon and night getting fat appearance fees.

The world needs a total 14 day lockdown

New Zealand and Australia too?

As I wrote, currently 1 in 690 is being infected, averaged for the whole country. What are you doing against further virus spreading? Such things like closing all izakaya early, recommending not to go to rural hotels, ryokan. Very few people there and mostly the same people, same owner, same full or part-time service staff, often coming same guests, drinking socially distanced, temperature checked, hands alcohol disinfected, by far under 690... With all power against that almost nothing. lol At the same time all really infectious places you keep intentionally wide open, unlimited, forced. Department stores, big factories, ward offices, train stations and of course extremely crowded platforms, trains and buses too. You are completely crazy and corona doesn’t care at all about your stupid measures. The daily numbers show that more than clearly, don’t they?

Jimzo:

Not interested at all in the possibility of the health service being overwhelmed?

The health service in a city of 20 million (That is 3 times the size of Sweden by the way), is "overwhelmed" by 800 "cases" (= most of them do not even have symptoms, let alone needing ICUs)? In what universe??

Is it so hard to keep a bit of perspective?

kurisupisu

Guy on the train, next to me, honking and hawking (thankfully only 2 stops) going to work.

Posdibly just a cold but it had me wincing...

Totally agree, mingling when you clearly have cought something and are coughing is irresponsible.

But how exactly is that different from the season flue? (Which also kills people with underlying conditions, by the way, have we all forgotten that?)

What is wrong with asking for some common sense instead of demanding massive population control?

corona doesn’t care at all about your stupid measures.

Really? Then if measures don't work, why is there almost no virus in both NZ and Australia? Did the virus just get bored of that region of the world? Or is there something in the air there that causes it to go away sooner?

@strangerland

Well it's summer there, I might be wrong but

I don't know of a southern hemisphere country suffering an outbreak.

Well it's summer there, I might be wrong

You are. In case you didn't notice, it was just summer in the northern hemisphere, and that didn't stop the virus at all.

And yet, NZ and Aus have pretty much got rid of it. During their winter at that.

You are the Masters of your own destiny.

You have bought misery & death to us.

You promoted CASH over CARE.

I guess wearing masks and social distancing wasn’t a silver bullet after all. Now what does the science say?

I guess wearing masks and social distancing wasn’t a silver bullet after all. Now what does the science say?

Another example of right-wing rhetoric. Anyone who actually reads, and/or can fact check, knows no scientist is some sort of magic bullet that will eliminate coronavirus.

....knows no scientist is CLAIMING some sort of magic bullet...

"Now I'm free! Free falling!"

@Cleo

It is not unreasonable to act within the guidelines that the government has proposed.

Do you listen to the guvmint (who by all accounts don't know what they are doing and don't follow their own advice) or do you listen to common sense ?

Stay out of crowds as much as possible, avoid enclosed spaces, wear a mask in public when you're in spitting distance of another person, wash your hands. Nowhere in that is 'spend hours drinking and wassailing every day in the pub'.

Well I'm not going to the pub every day but I am going a couple of times a week. According to the Tokyo Metro government we should "Be sure to take basic infection prevention measures, such as hand washing, wearing a mask, frequent disinfection and ventilation in various situations. When dining out, keep groups small, keep meals short, keep your voices down, keep portions separate, and make sure to wash your hands, disinfect, wear masks and ventilate frequently. We urge everyone of all generations, not only the elderly but also young people, to be thorough in their infection control measures."

I'm doing all of those things, and plenty of other things too (working from home, sent staff home in February and have encouraged them to work from home as much as they want since then). I will also comply with whatever restrictions are places on us, as I did during the previous state of emergency, and I'll put my name down for the vaccine as soon as its available. However, if as a society we actually aren't going to bother too much then I won't feel guilty for spending a few yen supporting struggling local businesses.

And yet, NZ and Aus have pretty much got rid of it. During their winter at that.

And one region spent the whole winter under lockdown.

And many Australians havent been unable to return how since last summer.

So , what a wonderful strategy

And many Australians havent been unable to return how since last summer.

Australians are basically able to live a covid-free life right now. Sure, a small number of them who didn't go home right away, can't. That's the kind of decision that has to be made sometimes. Never forget the old addage - you can't please all the people all the time. If they had their borders open, the people in the country wouldn't be able to live freely without fear of dying from covid.

So , what a wonderful strategy

Exactly.

Cases cases nobody really dying from this flu like thingy. Lol... Are you not getting bored with that now?

What is wrong with asking for some common sense instead of demanding massive population control?

Because common sense has been asked for repeatedly for the past 9 months and has been ignored by a not insignificant portion of the population. Hence, continued spreading.

I wonder if the Tokyo Olympics will go ahead with COVID19 out of control like this. Do the athletes really want to come over and compete?

I wonder if having the 2020 Olympics logo in the room is a good idea. I mean, if this was a control center for the Fukushima disaster would they have the logo in the background? Looks kind of out of place although I realize that the Olympics are priority over saving lives right?

Look at all these old people.

No offense to being old, but in this line of work, what about a younger and fresh thinking mind with a reaction speed not comparable to snails.

Mustn't be too hasty in times like these. Better the qualified and experienced than having young under-50 whippersnappers right?