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Japan reports 221,442 coronavirus cases; 36,814 in Tokyo

41 Comments

Japan on Friday reported 221,442 new coronavirus cases.

Tokyo reported 36,814, new coronavirus cases, down 3,592 from Thursday.

The number of infected people hospitalized with severe symptoms in Tokyo is 26, down one from Thursday, health officials said. The nationwide figure is 376, up 30 from Thursday.

Other prefectures reporting high numbers were Osaka (21,387), Aichi (14,397), Fukuoka (14,060), Kanagawa (13,234), Saitama (13,155), Chiba (10,386), Hyogo (10,237), Hokkaido (6,594), Shizuoka (5,523), Okinawa (5,253), Kyoto (5,068), Kumamoto (3,949), Miyagi (3,711), Ibaraki (3,637), Kagoshima (3,330), Hiroshima (2,843), Niigata (2,645), Gifu (2,625), Okayama (2,403), Gunma (2,393), Nara (2,377), Mie (2,374), Nagasaki (2,252), Oita (1,744), Nagano (1,740) and Fukushima (1,527).

The number of coronavirus-related deaths reported nationwide was 122.

© Japan Today

©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.

41 Comments

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Made up numbers. Far higher of course

-16 ( +13 / -29 )

The Thursday high maybe had some numbers carried over, some sources reported.

5 ( +8 / -3 )

Oh! A lot! How many died?

-4 ( +6 / -10 )

Death numbers are almost impossible to obtain.

There's no autopsies, and the covid deaths get disguised with the secondary effects of the virus, being counted as pulmonary failure, pneumonia, heart attack, etc.

In a nutshell: no autopsies means no COVID death

-2 ( +16 / -18 )

Okinawa (5,253),  GIANT NUMBERS AGAIN

Japan continues to keep getting hit hard.

bokudaToday  05:38 pm JST

Death numbers are almost impossible to obtain.

There's no autopsies, and the covid deaths get disguised with the secondary effects of the virus, being counted as pulmonary failure, pneumonia, heart attack, etc.

In a nutshell: no autopsies means no COVID death

Excellent point. Some people actually believe the numbers put out by this government.

-4 ( +9 / -13 )

Are excess deaths being reported anywhere?

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

Okinawa giant numbers but down from yesterday do you not mean?

-5 ( +2 / -7 )

Again

-3 ( +2 / -5 )

Are excess deaths being reported anywhere?

No - deaths remain in the single figures, much lower than the winter omicron wave which peaked in about 5 weeks. We're at the 4-week mark with this wave.

Will be interesting to see how long this wave takes to peak without any quasi-state of emergency

Beds for serious cases at 25% of capacity.

-8 ( +2 / -10 )

This week Japan had the highest number of cases in the world (800,000). At the same time nearly everybody still wears masks in Japan ( hardly anybody wear them anymore in US and Europe). Logical conclusion masks are of little usefulness.

-3 ( +9 / -12 )

In a nutshell: no autopsies means no COVID death

Do you have any proof of this? Or are you just making things up?

-10 ( +3 / -13 )

Masks ARE useful.

In normal conditions.

Extreme conditions, like 300 people packed in a train car, are way too much stress for the mask.

-1 ( +5 / -6 )

@CommodoreFlag

Because PCR tests are not being carried out sufficiently on deceased patients, there are concerns that the number of people who have died from COVID-19 is actually higher than reported.

https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20200522/p2a/00m/0na/010000c

It also says that most requests for autopsies get denied, so people don't bother asking anymore.

-4 ( +6 / -10 )

Top post, Nepalibabu. The sort of hideous indifference undergirding an endless spew of posts around here is a shocking indictment of so many people. And they'll claim ad nauseam that it's the sheeple who need to wake up/stop fearing (insert cretinous libertarian bugbear)/conspiracy yadda yadda yadda.

9 ( +17 / -8 )

Nepalibabu,

Yes. Thank you for your compassionate response.

5 ( +11 / -6 )

Some posters nonchalantly write about the very elderly taking the brunt of this pandemic, as if this is somehow okay or acceptable. That aged demographic is also the least represented in this online medium. I can imagine that, if they were tech-savvy, they would relate their fear in seeing the growing callousness in society, as frustration takes the form of denialism and selfishness. 

Amazing -- especially since, presumably, we all have aged family and friends. . . and we, too, will be old, infirm with comorbidities that will put us at heightened risk someday. . . 

Time to gingerly step into those shoes and take a look around. . .

Nepalibabu: this!

1 ( +11 / -10 )

It also says that most requests for autopsies get denied, so people don't bother asking anymore.

Thank you for stating your reasoning but that is an article from two years ago.

We'd know by now if there were any cover up - there'd be a huge glut in the number of deaths from those other indications you mentioned. You can check the number of "excess deaths" during the covid period in Japan here:

https://exdeaths-japan.org/en/graph/numberof_cause

If you compare a non-COVID year excess mortality rate with a COVID year and filter for respiratory disease, (say 2019: 1,272 to 12,860 deaths against 2020: 192 to 3,834 or 2021: 1,018 to 11,194 deaths), you end up seeing excess mortality figures are lower than in pre-COVID years.

And here is a explanation of how excess mortality is recorded using influenza as an example:

https://www.childresearch.net/chief2/97.html

During the 2019 flu season prior to the COVID-19 epidemic, the number of deaths due to (directly caused by) influenza infection reached 3,575, and the excess mortality numbers are said to have been approximately 10,000.

Currently, if a person who has died due to an Omicron variant shows positive results for an Omicron variant in PCR and antigen tests, the case will be considered "death due to the Omicron variant" regardless of underlying conditions and the degree of severity.

My point with the above is that they haven't been hiding bodies before so I doubt they're doing it now. Admittedly the data for 2022 isn't in yet but would expect this to be the same.

0 ( +5 / -5 )

This week Japan had the highest number of cases in the world (800,000). At the same time nearly everybody still wears masks in Japan ( hardly anybody wear them anymore in US and Europe). Logical conclusion masks are of little usefulness.

Hard to make such a conclusion without a before-after. And comparing one week, which could be the peak in Japan for all we know, is useless as well. The USA numbers would probably be higher if the government wasn't handing out multiple rounds of free self-test kits. Let's not forget Japanese visit the doctor for every little cold, so the tables have probably turned regarding reported tests especially with more young people getting infected.

But I suspect masks would work much better if combined with social distancing and stay-at-home policies. The fact is public transportation is just as crowded as before the pandemic. Japan never made any changes other than keeping most foreigners out.

Also schools are no longer taking the virus seriously. My younger kid's class (not entire grade or school) was only closed for 2 days when a number of students got infected. And they repeated this for multiple classes. The city also always concludes there were no close contacts to these students, which is total BS.

3 ( +5 / -2 )

Jeans and T-shirtToday  08:33 pm JST

And you believe China. Too funny.

Really? Any post explicitly stating that?

And are you brave enough to admit you believe Japan's numbers?

The number of infected people hospitalized with severe symptoms in Tokyo is 26, 

Okkkkk . . .

-8 ( +2 / -10 )

Seems we’re getting closer and closer to the first real and meaningful; much needed; long overdue restrictions! No more of these fake SOE’S… No more urging! No more excuses! Herd immunity does not exist with Covid! That’s a pipe dream ! Natural immunity also doesn’t exist without unnecessary deaths ! Through the entire pandemic, the economy , with all the corporate welfare payments has weathered the storm ! If ANY business went bankrupt, that was because of their individual irresponsibility! In the meantime, if you’re still in the marginalized minority of anti everything as related to Covid, the jgov has given y’all everything you’ve been whining about! And look at the results! Unnecessary infections, unnecessary deaths, unnecessary stress on the entire healthcare system, these numbers are not sustainable nor acceptable! It’s time to stop blaming the elderly for aging ! Stop blaming the obese for supporting restaurants and grocery stores! Stop blaming diabetics for who were born with diabetes! Stop blaming everyone for your own irresponsible behaviors! If you’re not vaccinated…. You’re constantly changing excuses are worn out! If you’re eligible for a booster…. Try to get it done! Follow the 3 C’s…. Mask up when necessary! If you’re in perfect health and couldn’t care less about others, start to care !

-4 ( +8 / -12 )

Peak is slated to be reached in just over a week, followed by a sharp decline. Hospital bed occupancy is at ~50%, lets hope it doesn't approach maximum capacity in mid august (severe cases lag behind registered cases by 1-2 weeks). 50% doesnt sound too bad but that doesn't leave much wiggle room for a sudden doubling or tripling in severe cases or localised ill timed disasters on top.

This is likely Japan's equivalent wave to what the west faced in late winter... in which case - fingers crossed that this too simmers down to a

2 ( +4 / -2 )

*simmers down to a sub-1.0 R number and that covid19 will barely be mentioned in the news anymore come winter.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

I am not vaxxed… and have been using just disposable masks when necessary. It might have been working for me but maybe not for some of you who are against masks.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

Like i have always posted here, you can not get rid of Covid. It is a virus that is not going away. Perhaps it can be controlled one day, but just when people get comfortable the numbers spike up. Covid is here to stay!!

1 ( +3 / -2 )

The WHO doesn't support a zero-covid approach and it is likely that China will at some point have to give up their policy as it is not sustainable to keep locking down every few cases for decades into the future when the virus is circulating, circumventing established vaccines and will enter the country the second any form of international travel is permitted... unless of course they're banking on holding out and monitoring covid continuing to mutate into ever milder strains to the point where they can open up without repercussions (generally speaking: being highly contagious with pronounced upper respiratory symptoms in hosts but a low mortality are requirements for a successful endemic virus and thus the 'survival of the fittest' end goal that covid19 strains are naturally slipping into).

We could prevent countless unnecessary viral infection caused deaths from now until the end of time with a permanent zero infection of any kind policy, mask mandate, vaccines, travel restrictions etc and watch avoidable deaths from influenza, hepatitis, measles, filoviruses etc plummet... but we don't do that because society has decided on an acceptable collateral of human lives for the sake of convenience and economic growth.

At some point every govt is going to throw some human lives under the bus for the benefit of everyone else, and every person has their own feelings about what point that should be.

2 ( +5 / -3 )

Rakuraku

Today 06:07 pm JST

This week Japan had the highest number of cases in the world (800,000). At the same time nearly everybody still wears masks in Japan ( hardly anybody wear them anymore in US and Europe). Logical conclusion masks are of little usefulness.

Or you could compare apples and apples.

The USA is barely testing as Japan has finally made it simple to get tested.

From the previous article:

Japan had the world's highest number of new coronavirus cases in the week to Sunday with more than 969,000, the World Health Organization said Wednesday.

> It was followed by the United States at around 860,000 new infections and Germany at about 570,000, the WHO said.

Now compared population density.

USA 94 per Km2

Germany 230 per Km2

Japan 340 per Km2

So more people in a smaller space in closer contact.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

Steven

Regarding your earlier post, the only person blaming others and pointing fingers is you. Nobody blames the elderly or the obese. Sadly for them they are the highest risk and have the highest death rates.

we also had other misinformation earlier from someon saying 20% of poll getting Covid get Long Covid and have lifetime issues. The actual amount is 7% and most issues are minor and go within weeks.

-5 ( +4 / -9 )

I stopped coming to the covid comment section because I got tired of certain individuals making light of people dying, blaming fat people, and those with chronic illnesses and dismissing their lives as of lesser value.

I see nothing has changed.

4 ( +10 / -6 )

Not too long ago more and more people here have been posting that they no longer wear masks and that they've been observing that more and more people including Japanese have been doing the same.

And now we're here.

This supports the claim (actually a fact) that masks work and help mitigate infection.

Think about it

6 ( +8 / -2 )

While generally sympathetic to the argument that the government has never tested enough or been up front about the state of the health system (remember in the bad old days when people were in COVID hotels, too sick to be home but not sick enough for one of the limited beds?),....

I have to say I find Commanderflag’s comment convincing. I realize that not all COVID deaths are being caught, but unlike the United States at the peak where there were (as I recall and apologize if I’m off a bit) 300k excess deaths - that is regardless of reason, 300k more people died during the period than the actuarial tables predicted, we do not see that in evidence here.

(And my apologies for the run on sentence. My HS English composition teacher would not be amused.)

AT THE SAME TIME.....

Covid is quite serious even if for the vaccinated in good health the risk is now much lower. A fact for which I thank science for safe and effective vaccines.

Therefore, I would like to add my voice to those thanking Nepalibabu for the thoughtful post and remind others that we are members of an interconnected society with both rights AND responsibilities.

Wear a damn mask. No, I don’t like it either. Yes, it’s hot. I don’t care. Grow a pair and wear one.

6 ( +7 / -1 )

Nemo

Neither Zichi or myself are Covid deniers, we are both British, which the Antique chap seems a bit averse too and have a mutual interest in football.

0 ( +5 / -5 )

Keep calm everyone.

Covid 19 likes people spitting. Forunately, it is done electronically.

Judt follow health guidelines. No more no less if no health conditions. Adapt if needed but don´t ask additional efforts.

Life must go on for sure.

Take care everyone and I am glad to read posts from different view. Nepalibabu is a great addition to exchanges.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

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