Tokyo reports 49 coronavirus cases; nationwide tally 369

Lockdown now!!

haha, wonder where that crowd has gone and what are they obsessing about now??

This is what you can achieve with cooperation. Keep wearing the masks. No one likes it, I understand. It's a respritory illness. Protect yourself.

And Japan still has an entry ban on international students and workers; even if they are vaccinated, provide multiple negative PCR tests, and are willing to quarantine for 14+ days. Other countries, even all other G7 countries, accept Japanese students with these requirements, yet no word on any form of reciprocity from the Government of Japan. Health and safety is always the number one priority, but if other countries are able to successfully manage something like this, and participants are willing to vaccinate (with approved vaccines) quarantine, and on top of that willing to get a long term visa to enter the country, how is the basis on the entry ban built upon anything resembling safety and science? I could be wrong, and I am willing to admit that, but if residents of Japan who are vaccinated can leave the country even just to go on trips, what's to say that they couldn't also bring in new varients of concern more so than any immigrant that is also vaccinated? It is important to get this virus under control, and I understand the measures, but it would at least be nice if Japan could get some sort of outline for a plan of easing immigration restrictions for those waiting for more than a year, and who have set aside all of their life plans to study in Japan, people who love the country, culture, language and wish to help the nation and improve globalization over the world. Let me know what you think.

Japan should consider to accept international students and workers in this condition. Many are waiting with everyday depression.

COVID just seems to have fizzled out. 7 cases in Okinawa and 11 in Hyogo today for example. It will be interesting to eventually find out what has happened. Vaccination and masks can't be the only answer. I can only assume the virus has burnt itself out.

One logical observation @5:14pm, followed by a reasonable request, then a fair assessment with some empathy for others, plus a medical ‘opinion’ [credentials not cited] and one more, reasonable bit of advice:

Suga quit the job at the wrong time didn’t he.

It's a key week to see whether the full SOE removal on 1.10 is starting to have any effect.

And Japan still has an entry ban on international students and workers; even if they are vaccinated, provide multiple negative PCR tests, and are willing to quarantine for 14+ days. Other countries, even all other G7 countries, accept Japanese students with these requirements, yet no word on any form of reciprocity from the Government of Japan. 

That makes sense as nationality has nothing to do with virus outbreaks. What currently concerns the Japanese government is probably quantity. Beefing up healthcare resources is further necessary and urgent. For timetable, I assume that things will move after the general elections held on 31.10. By the time the vax rate will reach nearly 80%

If this trend in numbers holds, there really should be no excuse for Japan not to begin opening international borders again soon. Many other countries in the region will be approaching normal international travel around November/December, I can only hope Japanese officials are working on reciprocating (with any and all safety measures in place, of course).

One logical observation @5:14pm, followed by a reasonable request, then a fair assessment with some empathy for others, plus a medical ‘opinion’ [credentials not cited] and one more, reasonable bit of advice:

@Stratman 5:14pm: “This is what you can achieve with cooperation. Keep wearing the masks. No one likes it, I understand. It's a respritory illness. Protect yourself.” -

What's your problem?

I have been waiting to enter in Japan for last 17 months, I am an international student and I am doing my second semester online.

Its high time to open the Japan border for international students, due to time difference it is really hard to do the class and it heavily affected on my mental health.

I am fully vaccinated and i am ready to do 2 weeks quarantine when I enter in Japan.

Possible reason for low numbers:

High vaccination rate.

In Germany it's said that the vaccine does give you a good protection to not transmit the virus in the first 2-3 month, but this protection disappears.

Another reason is that japanese people don't go often to the doctor... If there is just a low fever or headache (thanks to the vaccine) they just go to work = No testing.

This is what happened with the Spanish Flu. It just disappeared.

Then it came back the next year, with a much greater lethality.

This is what happened with the Spanish Flu.

COVID-19 ≠ Spanish Flu.

AkulaToday 05:31 pm JST

COVID just seems to have fizzled out. 7 cases in Okinawa and 11 in Hyogo today for example. It will be interesting to eventually find out what has happened. Vaccination and masks can't be the only answer. I can only assume the virus has burnt itself out.

Japan administered during the last 3 moths up to now to 82 million people 2 x shots, they are now fully vaccinated. Another 12 million people received so far 1 x shot, but many, especially young people are still waiting for their shots and will be vaccinated during this and next month.

I think vaccination plays a major role for this covid-19 virus infections to decline so much. 

I don't think this covid-19 virus disappears so quickly by itself.

We will see however if there is another wave coming, but with so many people vaccinated it should be very mild. I am quite optimistic that Japan will open its borders soon for travellers coming from some countries - but surely not for all countries worldwide. It will be likely more about reciprocal agreements, the other country accepts travellers from Japan and Japan accepts travellers coming from that country in return.

Derek GrebeToday 06:41 pm JST

This is what happened with the Spanish Flu. It just disappeared.

The Spanish Flu did not disappeared, but it changed over time to the now harmless seasonal flu, still every year if you want to be safe, there is vaccine available.

Good news to my ears.

But 20 dying of it today is a lot and very sad too.

Must still be vigilant and protect the vunerable.

The clamor by foreigners to enter Japan, belies an understanding: you are not a citizen and there is good reason to ban entry of non-citizens nor is there a compulsion to enact reciprocity. Nor is Japan responsible for the 'mental health' of those who neither reside in Japan or possess citizenship.

The virus emanated from foreign travelers. Until the contagion is not just fully under control but has completely subsided should he borders be opened, with limitations. The opinions of international students, to the contrary hold no weight - the reasons being apparent and obvious, as the reasoning is completely self-centered & self-serving. Let alone displays a complete lack of awareness of the complexity and adverse impacts. No G-7 national presents a valid model for containing or eradicating SARSCoV-2 of the contagion. Why would Japan act against its own interests and the health of the citizenry at the behest of foreigners. Stay home, tend your own garden.

Okay, to give you the bad news:

case load still unchanged in our area! What are people doing wrong compared with other prefectures? Maybe you smart ones can give me an answer?

Smart ones cannot give you an answer for that.

Ask the imaginative ones

FYI, COVID test is no longer free in Japan, you have to pay 20,000 yen out of pocket to get it.

That's the reason for COVID positivity fall.

Never has been free right? unless you get one by doctor's recommendation.

@samit basu

The number of Covid tests increased to 170,000 a day in mid-August, when 20,000 new daily cases were found. Recently, the number of tests decreased to 30,000 to 60,000 a day, except for the weekend. The number of tests has certainly decreased, but in Tokyo, the positive testing rate, which soared to 24 percent in mid-August, dropped to 1.8 percent on October 5. The positive result rate per test dropped too dramatically to say that “positive cases decreased because people don’t get tested enough.”

https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/2021/10/10/opinion/fountain/vaccine-PCR-test/20211010202233994.html

@Richard Gallagher there are a couple huge things you're overlooking though. Just to list a few. Student/business visas are long term, have to jump through tons of hoops, and can be revoked and deported for breaking these rules. The chance of a long term visa holder bringing covid with them is much lower than domestic transmission. You also claim it's basically for selfish reasons that they want Japan to open its borders. But once again that is short sighted. Japan relies on foreign workers with business visas, and outside of just tourism, students bring a large work force and large sums of money for the economy. So it benefits Japan for very little risk.

I understand and fully support keeping tourists out until everything is fully under control. But that is completely different than people looking to move there for a non insignificant amount of time. Once again, as someone looking to move there to be with my girlfriend and work/live in Japan, I can be deported for not strictly adhering to the covid guidelines. While also bringing in business and skilled work that they desperately need. However, because of how they've handled this, myself and others are looking at just not going anymore. For example, I could just go to Korea instead, learn the language, and let my girlfriend come to Korea to visit, since her leaving and returning is fine, even though, once again, I can't even go to stay there.

Everyone rational in Japan will eventually arrive at shoganai. It’s de rigueur.

You believe these figures, you been smoking hash,Singapore has 3200 in one day, their are 10 of thousands without symptoms potential spreading it, do this include people in the hospital with Covid

Japan has 10 of thousands of Covid patients in hospital, these people has tested positive, within week Google Japan Covid Hospital rate

Even at the end of the tunnel we still have users selling the same doomsday prophecy of Japan's failure or faking numbers of infected and death.

The only acceptable news for some JT users is negative.

If you wrote an article saying Japan overnight has 100,000 new cases this same people will say that's the real news and the truth.

The chance of a long term visa holder bringing covid with them is much lower than domestic transmission. 

No need to comment I guess

They get rid of Suga and the numbers instantly drop, that's amazing.

They get rid of Suga and the numbers instantly drop, that's amazing.

Yeah amazing.

The ones who manipulate the numbers always do it to coincide with conspicuous events so conspiracy theorists are sure not to miss it