Tokyo reports 1,979 coronavirus cases; nationwide tally 5,383

Well, these numbers are just a little ‘Fuzzy’ at 1979 and just short of the 2000 predicted by some this week: 

“That's an ugly number... Easily over 2000 tomorrow.” -

Perhaps they’re saving the BIG numbers, like 2020 or 2021 cases, to coincide with Friday’s Opening Ceremonies? - Like everything else we’ve seen printed in media these last weeks, the fonts and printers are already set to fill in the blanks for the headlines & commemorative books.

Higher numbers, scare people and keep them from going out until the Olympics are finished.

Up nearly 50 % compared to last Thursday. It's impressive how Tokyo manages cap testing at around 10,000 regardless of the tendency.

The way the PR own goals are going, it really wouldn't surprise me if we crossed 2000 tomorrow, when the opening ceremony takes place. And if it actually happened to hit 2020 or 2021 exactly, the symbolism would be too much.

Still, the IOC and co. have pretty much abandoned their "safe and secure" games promise and are just going to be focusing on spin and damage control from here on in.

After yesterday increase of 683 from previous week - today we have another increase of 671 compared to last week with a number today of 1979 - magically the number remains below 2000 number

In another news on Asahi (link below) - giving dire warning of present and expected projections based on facts and numbers

https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/14401006

“Hospital beds for virus patients in Tokyo fill to 52% most serious level 4”

“Tokyo is also at stage 4 in terms of the number of daily new COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, infected people with nonserious symptoms recuperating at hotels and homes, and the rate of positive tests for the virus, data by the metropolitan government showed.” - covered all stage 4 indications

“Number of people asked to recover at home increased from 1841 to 3657 on 20 Jul (within one week)”

“Seven day average increased from 785 to 1170 on Jul 20” - just to give perspective this seven day average one month back was at 387

“Positivity rates as per Tokyo govt site has increased from 7.2% to 10.2% within one week ending 20 Jul”

All the above indication dont show anything positive on covid control in Tokyo - but we have our PM saying on Wall Street interview that he believe Tokyo is at the right place as far as covid control is concerned - really??

Great job by the numbers man sitting by the fax machines and full marks to the reduction in testing to manage to keep the number below 2000 for the glorious victory opening of the Olympics with that tiny bit of better news! End of the week and the usual drop in numbers just cannot come soon enough. BTW do the numbers of infected foreigners visiting for the Olympics get counted in the Tokyo numbers or do they have a separate special category like the Diamond Princess numbers? If so they don't seem keen to keep announcing them daily for months like they used to for the Diamond Princess,

Well, still firmly on collision course for +3000 on the 4/5th of August

Even with today being a holiday I still think the numbers will limp over the 2000 line this week. Then following the 5 day holiday it's very likely we'll see 3000+ by Wednesday. We've been lucky so far, but it's possible our luck has run out. Delta variant, largely unvaccinated population, summer holidays, olympics, increasing frustration and complacency. All tinder to the fire.

Don’t forget that the reported cases are of people that felt sick enough to go to the hospital. The number of cases of people with mild or no symptoms -or those that won’t go to the hospital anyway- is much higher and not even mentioned.

As the IOC said and the Japanese Government followed - the games will go in at all costs....

There is a serious risk of the virus being carried back to other countries from Japan...of course there is a local risk as well.

The cases and acceleration of cases is much worse than when the Olympics were originally scheduled to occur!

At SnoweyMountainHiking: My wife said the exact same thing.

How many deaths without comorbidities below 80?

Understood @Tokyo-Engr 5:34pm To be exact, Seiko Hashimoto stated: “*At ANY Cost**”. - *Not just the toll on ALL of Japan’s health, welfare & finances but also, ANY costs their stupid insistence will now precipitate worldwide as a result.

*- “Tokyo Games should be held 'at any cost,' says Olympic minister“ - Olympic Minister Seiko Hashimoto attends a news conference at Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's official residence on Sept. 11, 2020. | REUTERS*

Up up you go. Times these figures by 10 to get a more realistic number.

Reminder that there is daily testing capacity of 97,000 in Tokyo, they use barely 10% of that and still the number of positve cases increases substantially. Few weeks ago it was ~9% now closer to ~20% of those tested. You don't need a PhD in odd-numbers to know that if they tested even 3x or 5x , just how many more cases are out there. Just watch who the scapegoat will be this time, it will have to be a fairly large and convenient scapegoat, I can't think what could possibly be, hmmm, what will it be???

And the survival rate remains nearly 99%, so there's that.

How many deaths without comorbidities below 80?

Even if it's just one, it's one too many.

We are not going to see 2000 over until Tuesday.

Tokyo is testing fewer than before golden week already and today being a holiday as well as tomorrow Saturday and Sunday if testing follows the way golden week did testing will not even reach 6,000 on any of the next 4 days.

So get ready for the "great the cases are down" stuff for the next few days.

By Sunday we will see fewer than 3,000 like every Sunday.

We are living in a surreal time.

Up nearly 50 % compared to last Thursday. It's impressive how Tokyo manages cap testing at around 10,000 regardless of the tendency.

Not only Tokyo, It is a national trend.

I have wondered why there is such a strong aversion to testing throughout this pandemic and can't think of any good reason. It is a mystery that needs to be debunked.

And the survival rate remains nearly 99%, so there's that.

Would you voluntarily engage in any kind of activity where you have a 1% chance of dying? I am not sure if you are kidding or not.

Definitely not kidding, just not thinking either.

Even with today being a holiday I still think the numbers will limp over the 2000 line this week. Then following the 5 day holiday it's very likely we'll see 3000+ by Wednesday. We've been lucky so far, but it's possible our luck has run out. 

If the powers that be limit the number of tests and indirectly control the number of positives, I don't call that as luck, it is luck when a city of 14M is doing 80 -100k tests a day and returning the numbers we are having now. What is happening now is not that different from a magic show. Well, there are some people that think magic shows are real.

Fortunately, most people who get it now are young and no hospital or death

No. Health workers in countries experiencing surges now are reporting that this time round, the number of serious/critical cases of young people is well up on previous waves, so you are not even correct on this. Even supposing that you believe it is okay that 'only' older people get seriously ill or die.

It has been pointed out on here, endlessly, that

even if young people have mild symptoms, they can pass it on to older people in their household, workplace, on public transport, who then go on to get very sick.

almost a quarter of infected people, including those who are asymptomatic, go on to develop long covid.

https://time.com/6073522/long-covid-prevalence/

the greater the surge of infection, the higher the chances of a still more dangerous variant developing.

Does anyone know if the daily testing of Olympians will be included in the numbers? I guess that will add almost 10,000 tests a day for Tokyo.

The daily testing of olympians will never be included in the Tokyo numbers, i guess the olympic numbers will be in the clouds.

Regarding the decision to go ahead with the Olympics, Suga explained, "Numbers (in Japan) are low compared to figures including the number of infected people abroad, which can include an extra zero or more."

At least Suga is being honest albeit not deliberately. It has all been about image keeping the numbers down and comparing with other countries and feeling good. Suga , the media, the experts and some citizens know Japan is testing at a fraction of those countries hence the low numbers but nobody is bold enough to speak as they will be seen as traitors by tarnishing that good image everybody is worried about.

Can someone please remind me how useful these numbers are when japan is only 143rd on the world scale for tests per capita of population. The published numbers are miniscule compared with the population however I fear the numbers would be tenfold or far greater if testing was taken seriously. But that would cause panic and would have likely got in the way of the Olympics.

"Would you voluntarily engage in any kind of activity where you have a 1% chance of dying? I am not sure if you are kidding or not."

Sure. It's called living.

Does anyone know if the daily testing of Olympians will be included in the numbers? I guess that will add almost 10,000 tests a day for Tokyo.

The answer is simple.

No!

The long answer is that Tokyo has stopped including antigen testing in their number of daily tests a long time ago and the daily testing of the Olympic personnel, Athletes, officials, etc...are antigen tests.

I will speculate that if someone tests positive twice with the antigen and is sent for a PCR test that the PCR test has a high probability of being included in that days results.

Edging closer and closer to 2,000 and possibly 5,000 / day by the end of this year.

while 254 cases were aged under 19.

The psychological effect of numbers , imagine the above 254 cases was broken down as under 19, 154 cases and 10 and under 100. We know 10 and under don't drink or visit eateries so we will guess rightly that they contracted it in school or at home. And most that are trying to undermine the seriousness of this virus won't be saying it. It didn't make the news here but last week a 10 year girl was in serious condition and placed on a ventilator.

Hervé L'EisaToday  07:49 pm JST

"Would you voluntarily engage in any kind of activity where you have a 1% chance of dying? I am not sure if you are kidding or not."

Sure. It's called living.

A flippant reply to a genuinely worthwhile question.

Logging is considered the most dangerous job in the USA at almost 1 fatality per 1000 loggers. That is a death rate of 0.097%. Your chances of dying if you contract COVID in Japan is 1.82%, almost 20 times higher.

Either you are brave or very stupid. I don't know you so I shall hold judgement on which it is.

Edging closer and closer to 2,000 and possibly 5,000 / day by the end of this year.

5,000 a day, that will never happen. You can take that to the bank and cash it. It would require Tokyo to perform over 50K tests a day. With very high testphobia I don't see that happening.

drluciferToday  07:07 pm JST

Up nearly 50 % compared to last Thursday. It's impressive how Tokyo manages cap testing at around 10,000 regardless of the tendency.

Not only Tokyo, It is a national trend.

I have wondered why there is such a strong aversion to testing throughout this pandemic and can't think of any good reason. It is a mystery that needs to be debunked.

I think the answer is here:

https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/14382671

At first I used to think it was only the government trying to put its head in the sand (so the virus would go away), but it looks like private citizens and organizations think the same way.

"The ministry said many facilities reported that they would not conduct the testing due to concerns it would leave them short of workers."

In other words, "if there are no positive tests, then there is no virus" seems to be the logic.

In other words, "if there are no positive tests, then there is no virus" seems to be the logic.

Well yes we basically knew that a long time ago and some here are strong believers in that by repeating " low number of cases".

Tokyo reports 1,979 

I was in Kichijoji today. Crowded at every corner, restaurant, cafe, people yak yak without masks on. Going out today was a big mistake!

*"The number of coronavirus-related deaths reported nationwide was six."*

That's right, SIX.