Tokyo reports 448 new coronavirus cases; nationwide tally 2,877

Testing is down from 0.73 tests per thousand on May 14 to 0.64 tests per thousand on May 26th. So as several people have pointed out, if you don't test, you don't find.

Last Sunday the testing dropped to just around 3,000 from the weekdays average of 8,000 in Tokyo.

If we are again going to see just 3,000 tested with over 400 positive then Tokyo has a big problem hiding.

Japan Government trying to make their people look really stupid to believe this...

Numbers falling again, 

Only if you ignore the fact that testing has fallen even faster and positivity rate is one of the highest in the developed world.

Japan's positivity rate near 6% while the rest 3%.

Japan as a country of 126 million tests about twice what the province of Ontario does with a population of 14 million ( Japan approx 90~100 thousand, Ontario 40~ 60 thousand daily) Tokyo with 34 million population tested only around 8,000 on Friday and last Sunday 3,000.

Hospitals are refusing covid patients because they have no room.

So this makes no sense if one uses simple logic.

Some studies are saying that the real number of covid deaths in Japan is more that x10 of the official ones.

so we can ensure the safety of the competitors and their entourages.

And those that live in Japan? What about them?

Correction, Tokyo's test numbers for Friday have been updated at just over 5,000 with over 700 positive, so testing goes down but they still can't get the numbers down and the percentage of positive goes up.

I am rather astonished that in spite of a very soft lockdown such as not selling beer after 8 pm.

Are you talking about the prefectures that are under the quasi-state of emergency, or the ones with the states of emergency? For the ones under the state of emergency (like Tokyo) bars and restaurants have been requested to stop selling alcohol altogether. You can get it at bottle stores/supermarkets or wherever else whenever you like though. I am guessing the 8pm one is for those that are under quasi-states of emergency, like Saitama, which is right next to Tokyo, right? Anyhow, it is all meaningless and doesn't make any sense whatsoever. The powers that be must thing the populace are thick (maybe they are).

Things are getting pretty bad down here, the "per-100,000" infectious rate over the course of the last week has been nearly 110 per 100,000. The average in Japan is about 22 per 100,000.

直近１週間の人口１０万人当たりの感染者数も１０９・８１人と全国最多で、全国平均の２２・２８人を大きく上回っている状態が続いている。

https://www.okinawatimes.co.jp/articles/-/762160

no need to @reckless. It’s all a dream and mind control. We will all be safe as no one is dying as reported in dinasour media

Wish there was a way to upvote and downvote at the same time! Ah, just did it. Came out even.

am rather astonished that in spite of a very soft lockdown such as not selling beer after 8 pm, pretty much no vaccines, and a relatively porous border, that Japan has still kept the number of deaths from coronavirus very low. Puzzling but in a good way.

no need to @reckless. It’s all a dream and mind control. We will all be safe as no one is dying as reported in dinasour media

I have a naive question: is the number of tests determined by the number of people who request tests or is there active sampling of a representative population of regardless their desire to be tested?

Well the answer is simple by the number the government feels like doing.

The criteria to be tested is so difficult to meet that a man with cerebral palsy sick with fever for one week could not qualify to be tested and his caretaker ( brother) had to find a private lab.

He then turned out to have covid it then took 5 more days to find a hospital to take him, he is now in serious condition on oxigen.

The caretaker is also sick with fever and has not been able to be tested again told his symptoms are not severe enough to be tested.

In most countries when one family member is found to be positive the rest are tested, here they will only test if those family members have serious enough symptoms.

During that time they spread the virus.

This same thing has been reported in multiple articles and news.

This is just the most outrageous example I personally know but my family know others in similar situations,

Oh the care home my mother in law works in has residents with covid but no staff has been tested since they found out.

Guess no one heard about the care home fiascos in Canada.

past month: japan new cases 153,000 with 2717 deaths

past month: canada new cases 164,000 with with 1286 deaths

even the massaged Japan numbers still don't make any sense. Transparency is what is needed

Anyone believe this fact because the Tokyo government always said stupid things. The state of emergency may be going to be extended again in my opinion. What should I believe, what is the fact,,,

@zoroto or anyone who knows

I have a naive question: is the number of tests determined by the number of people who request tests or is there active sampling of a representative population of regardless their desire to be tested? When I looked at the URL shared by Zoroto, I got the feeling it might be more of the former than the later.

If it's only people requesting tests (e.g. they have symptoms, they have been in contact with a positive person etc.) there is actually some rationale for fluctuations in the testing numbers (e.g a decrease might be a good thing).

The figures published by JT seem to be a third short of the figures posted on the internet real time Convid-19 worldometer.

From here, it looks like the majority of tests are from private testing clinics

https://www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/seisakunitsuite/bunya/0000164708_00079.html

I don't think large numbers of people are being tested randomly by the government. Therefore, the number of tests somehow reflects various factors, including demand by individuals for tests.

So, it's not really accurate to imply that the government is actively reducing the test numbers (unless they literally send out fewer test kits and that is the limiting factor...)

If anyone has actual knowledge about the testing process, please correct me. I'm just speculating here.

@Antiquesaving

Your example is indeed outrageous and I have heard a number of incidents of people wanting to get tested but being denied.

Reduced testing on specific days is also obvious from the numbers.

So, I don't have an argument there. The central gov has been handling the pandemic atrociously. I know this and you know this. So I am not apologizing for the travesty.

What I am suggesting is that demand may play a role when we look at the larger fluctuations (e.g. week to week). And I am open to being educated on this point. I'm just looking at the same graphs as everyone else and trying to make sense of them.

Nikkei Weekly reported last week that Japanese epidemeologists had prepared a forecast of infection fluctuations together using two vaccination scenarios using the base rate of vaccinations at the end of April. These forecasts were shared online throughout hospitals' intranets, and from there a reporter brought the numbers to the Nikkei audience.

Assuming steady vaccinations at the end-April rate month after month, the forecast called for a peak in July, followed by three more peaks until the large vaccinated population brought community transmissions under control.

If the government increased the rate four times, there would be only one more peak infection period -- in July.

I'm worried about what's just around the corner -- Olympics or no Olympics -- and I want to be vaccinated asap.

Mainland China new infection rate is still in double digits toward zero,

https://www.google.com/search?q=coronavirus%2C+mainland+china&sxsrf=ALeKk00kyC4beroPicog3xNLqIS5dGk7ug%3A1622381815504&ei=95SzYL6THoyU-gShoYiABA&oq=coronavirus%2C+mainland+china&gs_lcp=Cgdnd3Mtd2l6EAM6BAgjECc6BAgAEEM6CgguEMcBEK8BECc6BwgAEIcCEBQ6CAguEMcBEKMCOgYIABAKEEM6AggAOgUIABDJAzoFCAAQkgM6AgguOggIABAWEAoQHjoGCAAQFhAeOgUIABCGA1Dg1AxYm44NYNKPDWgAcAJ4AIAB5wGIAbEYkgEHMTYuMTEuMZgBAKABAaoBB2d3cy13aXrAAQE&sclient=gws-wiz&ved=0ahUKEwj-6rWew_HwAhUMip4KHaEQAkAQ4dUDCA4&uact=5

@obladi

A simple look at the numbers tells us one thing.

It is not the demand that drops but the availability.

It would be one crazy coincidence that every weekend no one is sick.

Tests go from 8,000 in Tokyo during the week to 3,000 on weekends.

Now if people are sick they are sick and want to be tested but suddenly every weekend so few are sick requesting tests.

That makes no sense it would be like having a heart attack and waiting until Monday to seek medical help..

The Sharp drop every weekend tells us it is not the demand that drops but the availability of testing.

Mainland China new infection rate is still in double digits toward zero,

Correction: The CCP says that. You'd have to be stupid enough to think that the CCP allow truth to be reported, to take the above quote at face value. Nothing the CCP says can be trusted as being true.

Reckless

I am rather astonished that in spite of a very soft lockdown such as not selling beer after 8 pm, pretty much no vaccines, and a relatively porous border, that Japan has still kept the number of deaths from coronavirus very low. Puzzling but in a good way.

Generally good health of the population and the government sensibly refraining from excessive lockdowns, i.e, not imprisoning people in their small apartments, goes a long way to explain that.

Bret Weinstein & Heather touched on that in their latest podcast:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BxmKl_PONzo

As usual, the comments full of conspiracy theorists questioning the governments numbers.

Numbers continuing to fall, with active cases having dropped by a quarter from their peak. Unfortunately we don't get an update in vaccination numbers over the weekend, but it is clear the rollout is crucial to avoiding any further waves.

@zoroto Why not? Seems completely valid.

Well if you compare week-to-week, things are improving!!! It must be tough worrying about Covid all day when life in Japan is SOOOO normal.

Antiquesaving

The numbers are falling and so are severe cases in hospitals, these are facts proven by the daily numbers. We are on fast track to normality and this will all be over soon unless a much deadlier variant appears

Numbers are going down and vaccines are finally happening.

Are we talking about Japan here? Or another country where 40% of the population is vaccinated, which is needed to have an affect?

For God's sake, have you ever thought of the countries where millions of people have no access to vaccines whatsoever?

Numbers falling again, steady progress is being made. There is no doubt that the cases will be far lower when the Olympics start so we can ensure the safety of the competitors and their entourages.

With the vaccine process well under way it is likely these will be the last SOE needed before life returns to normality.

For God's sake, have you ever thought of the countries where millions of people have no access to vaccines whatsoever?

Yes, in Japan, about 100 million people have no access to vaccines whatsoever. What's your point?

Get a wider perspective of the world. You will be thankful that you are in Japan.

When the infected numbers are not high enough for Zoroto's liking it is straight to the number of tests. You can't compare week-to-week now since the data doesn't support your wish. Obviously the number is falling since testing has been consistent. They only test those who present with symptoms. It has always been the same. Maybe not ideal, but it is consistent. Numbers are going down and vaccines are finally happening. Things are moving in a positive direction.