Tokyo reports 614 new coronavirus cases; nationwide tally 3,708

Nice to see numbers falling in most prefectures, although Okinawa and Hokkaido are a worry.

This wave is starting to subside, and the next one will run directly into the brick wall of Japan's vaccination program. I suspect by the time of the Olympics, all will be dandy.

Japan on par with China and NK in hiding numbers to support their narratives. Slimiest governments ever.

This wave is starting to subside, and the next one will run directly into the brick wall of Japan's vaccination program. I suspect by the time of the Olympics, all will be dandy.

At the current rate of approximately 350,000 vaccinations a day, less than 10 percent of the Japqnese population will have been vaccinated by the start of the Olympics. So, yeah, right, "dandy."

is there an official reason why it's so difficult to get a test done here?

it's actually not that difficult anymore, just not particularly affordable. Done several purchasing kits online etc, cheapest way to go.

Tests are of zero importance now. All must be on vaccination. The only saving grace.

New cases will be under 4000 today nationwide which is a good sign.

To address some questions though - there are likely some asymptomatic or minor cases that are not being picked up. I would like to see some more testing done, and those that say the real numbers are higher are probably right to a small degree.

However, things are clearly getting better, and the official numbers show it. Re new vaccinations, these are now running at over 500k a day. We will be at 50M vaccinations by the Olympics. Active cases have been falling for the last week or so.

There is cause for optimism, and I choose to be optimistic, rather than always present a doom and gloom point of view as many on this site do.

@ Akula

when were you vaccinated?

@ Robert maes

The grass is greener on the other side!

Its just matter of time. With such subtle response by govt. we all will get virus sooner or later. Just develop your immunity well enough to fight it off (just little cough and fever) is all I suggest.

I wonder how many tests they did?

Melb dropped 47,000 tests and found 4 cases today.

11,000 odd tests per positive result.

Tokyo had 614 positives, so all being the same that would be the result of 6,754,000 tests. . .

Basically Okinawa has 1/30 the population of Tokyo, and for today. roughly half the total number of infections than Tokyo.

The per 100,000 number is a touch over 100....

I would appreciate it if all you tourists up in mainland, stay there! Local media is saying that the "peak" has yet to come!

Tests are falling. That's good news.

Heading to Okinawa as those are likely the only legitimate numbers in proportion to the population and is the safest place to be in this country.

Tokyo is a mess.

1 out of 87 infected.

Incredible people still take trains, subways, work in offices.

risingfro

"is there an official reason why it's so difficult to get a test done here?"

it's actually not that difficult anymore, just not particularly affordable. Done several purchasing kits online etc, cheapest way to go.

Yeah, you can even buy some test kits from Matsukiyo and such, I believe, but the issue here is, that these tests will not be reported, they will not be counted, they will not show on the stats.

However, things are clearly getting better, and the official numbers show it. Re new vaccinations, these are now running at over 500k a day. We will be at 50M vaccinations by the Olympics. Active cases have been falling for the last week or so.

None of what you claim is true. Today, there were fewer than 350,000 new vaccinations. It has never exceeded 500,000 in a day.

Indeed, the daily average has been around 250,000 since the beginning of May. We'd need to be vaccinating more than a million a day from now until the start of the Olympics to reach 50 million (of which about one half would be second vaccinations), meaning far fewer than 50 million would have received their first dose.

As a resident of Osaka I am rather dismayed by this extension. Numbers are very low now and I’m sure just taking precautions and with vaccines being administered they will not rise again. It’s summer time, people enjoy outside, the risks are minimal. Businesses need to be able to operate properly so life returns to normal.

Does anyone believe these numbers??

there was a time long ago when I mistakenly thought Japan was doing an ok job with Corona. But I’ve completely lost faith due to the ridiculous vaccine rollout and the endless SOEs to preserve the Olympics. This is insane behavior and the outside world is starting to take notice.

Numbers are very low now and I’m sure just taking precautions and with vaccines being administered they will not rise again.

Pop into your local ICU and start telling the staff how sure you are.

Businesses need to be able to operate properly so life returns to normal.

The point of SoEs is to create the conditions where businesses can operate properly and life can return to normal. You want everything soon but aren't prepared to endure anything now.

Such a lack of fortitude from spoiled, selfish humans is a true legacy of this pandemic.

The number of infected people hospitalized with severe symptoms in Tokyo is 70

Another number that defies all logic regarding this virus, the number of serious cases in the most populated and congested city in the country has hovered in the 70s for months while Osaka with a far lower population has more than 300 cases. Why the media doesn't think it is strange is beyond me. The J -media is one of the most inept in the world, not surprising at all considering programs requiring intellect are managed Yoshimoto kogyo comedians and Johnnies boys.

Number of tests down again, tomorrow and Sunday will be half

Wait, I thought the numbers were "surging" in Tokyo like many editorials would have you believe.

Are you closing your eyes and hoping for the best again?

And this is why I referred to it as a ‘suspicion’ - he suspects that everything will be fine.

It’s wishful thinking based on unquestioning trust.

blvtzpk

Certainly would live there yes. Not going to because I love living in the center of Osaka so much

I don't understand this obsession of both the government and the media to report the number of new infections every day, without giving this as a proportion of the tests undertaken. It is obvious that the number of cases discovered is going to be a function of the number of tests. Fewer tests will result in fewer infections reported, and more tests will lead to more infections being reported. Just giving a bald number is utterly meaningless.

Bill- more important than case count is hospitalization and fatality count.

There are now many effective therapeutics that combat COVID. This “wave” of COVID cases has produced few fatalities.

Even then, the vulnerable should be vaccinated ASAP. Japan can then open up completely, no restrictions. This has been proven in many parts of the U.S.

Bill- more important than case count is hospitalization and fatality count.

There are now many effective therapeutics that combat COVID. This “wave” of COVID cases has produced few fatalities

Really, so fewer fatalities?

When the games were postponed in 2020 there were just over 800 cases of covid-19 in Japan and just over 350,000 worldwide.

There are now over 60,000 cases in Japan with deaths daily and over 20 million cases worldwide with tens of thousands of deaths just Inn India which will be sending a large team, now let's and in the rest of the world where surges and new variants are spreading and try honestly to say it is safer today than 2020.

Until mid November 2020 average daily total deaths below 10k.

Since then, except for a brief period in feb-mar above 10k.

From a high of around 15k around start of May, it's now in continuous decline to around 13k as of today.

Hopefully it continues to decline.

Positivity rate is the only number that matters.