Japan reports 99,491 new coronavirus cases; 9,240 in Tokyo

Down 24% from a week ago

Okinawa looking good

Soon there, lads

Apparently the Governor of Tokyo wants to border fully open by tomorrow....!

We are slowly seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. Can't wait for that carefree life pre-Covid.

Elvis, you certainly have a P.M.A. (Positive Mental Attitude)!

 It only goes to show what a robust and effective vaccine programme can achieve.

Elvis, this is nonsense and you know that.

The Vaccination rate in Japan is still the same since months. It is still at 82%.

The numbers are going down, because many people got infected during the last weeks and months, and a kind of herd immunity is build up.

That is the reason and not the vaccines.

I sincerely do believe in the success of the vaccine programm

If the vaccination rate would have change during the last weeks, from let's say 81% to 85%, which means that thousands or millions of people got new vaccinated, then, yes I would agree with you.

But the vaccination rate didn't change a bit.

So if you think logical you will understand that the vaccine can not be the reason that the numbers are going down.

@Monty

Isn't it well established that the current vaccines on offer do little to nothing to prevent infection of current strains, but do still significantly mitigate serious symptoms including death?

and a kind of herd immunity is build up

The only herd immunity that has been successfully built up is that of the coronaviruses, because the whole planet has slept for three years and highly probably is continuing sleeping. Why? Because economy is much higher valued than own lives. How many future waves can everyone stand, quickly aging oneself into vulnerable age groups and accompanied with LongCovid, a generally decreased average life expectancy and all such? And even that calculation does not work anymore, because also the economies are quite massively under fire due to other reasons of course. Summed up, instead of a limited NoCovid attempt, that would have allowed a return to pre-pandemic situations, we have made only errors and have grown and spread the viruses, have to expect lower life expectancy with LongCovid body restraints and the economies are also driven over the edge. Make the best out of it, while you still can, but please don’t call that all a splendid future or optimistic outlook. It’s surely becoming quickly the opposite of that.

Guys...again...we are talking here why the numbers are going down.

Elvis said, because of the vaccine.

That assumption is wrong.

We had about 40000 cases in Tokyo a few weeks ago, with the same vaccination rate which we have today.

And today we have 9000 cases.

The vaccination rate didn't change, which means that not more new people took the vaccine.

Same amount of people are vaccinated, same amount of people are not vaccinated.

So how can the cases drop because of the vaccine, if the vaccination rate didn't change?

Herd immunity does not exist with Covid-19….

Herd immunity does not exist with Covid-19…

Then what is the reason why the numbers dropped?

It can not be the vaccine, because like I explained above, same amount of people are vaccinated, same amount of people are not vaccinated. No change since months.

But whatever the reason is that the numbers are decreasing, let's be happy about that and let's hope that it will continue.

I am out for my Mom and Pop's izakaya.

It's friday evening...

I wish you all a nice evening.

The reason for the case drops is a combination of the vaccines working and herd immunity. (Pickle pretty much sums it up) This is precisely why Japan is only experiencing such high numbers now because they did so much better than the rest of the world so it hadn't swept through the population like the latest variant did. It also explains why other countries who had contained the virus early had such bad outbreaks when they finally relaxed things like Australia and NZ.

Cases are also dropping because less reported and counted. From Sep 26, private insurance will stop paying benefits except elderlies and persons at risk. When I got tested at hospital, I knew I was positive as I had an antigen test at home. But needed the official hospital result. It helped to get benefits too

Gov't: How we reduce case numbers?

Health Ministry: Vaccinate everyone!

Gov't: The vaccine isn't working.

Health Ministry: Idk, masks forever?

Gov't: Okay good idea but still not working.

Intern: Just stop counting cases slowly so it looks like a natural decline.

Bingo!

Jesus, would people stop banging on about herd immunity already?! It’s like we’re stuck in summer 2020. Read some science!

One interesting thing is that insurance companies have been treating people who have COVID but are at home as minashi nyuin - as if they were in hospital, and paying them money. They've decided to change this from later this month. Older people and people with health issues will still get the payment.

Jeffb. “Just stop counting cases slowly so it looks like a natural decline.” Funnily enough, I know someone who works in a clinic and they had a circular telling them that the drop in numbers could be attributed to that very thing. You could be onto something there!

Isn't it well established that the current vaccines on offer do little to nothing to prevent infection of current strains, but do still significantly mitigate serious symptoms including death?

Yeah, they provide some protection against severe symptoms... for a few weeks...

The latest “hospitalization” stats dropped from the Jgov this evening.

The nationwide stats thru 9/7 are:

Active cases: 1.3  million cases. Down from 1.74 mil

Truly “hospitalized”: 31,195 out of 48,176 beds. 65% occupied. Down from 77%.

ICU: 1366 out of 5602 beds. 24% occupied. Down from 28.3%

Hotels(No doctors/nurses here) 21,342  out of 70,284 beds. 30% occupied. Down from 40%.

Total corona beds available in hospItal + hotels=123,000

Home recuperation: (No doctor/ nurses here) 1.06 mil. Down from 1.4 mil

All numbers way down from last week. Under 33,000 hospitalized Covid patients in

a sea of 1.5 million hospital beds.

https://www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/seisakunitsuite/newpage_00023.html

Definitely not to do with the vaccine. As has been pointed out before, the vaccination rate hasn't changed.

More people get it - more natural immunity - eventual fall. Not complicated.

Not true? Look to South Africa where this happened almost a year ago. Despite extremely low vaccination. Or look to the UK where cases went up and then fell despite now there being low vaccine uptake since the milder omicron emerged (esp in those who are not at risk). Look to countless other places to see the same.

Vaccine efficacy against the cron was already poor. It wanes quickly too. 3mths or so. Accept this.

So let's follow the science as they always say and appreciate the mutated virus has become much milder and despite poor vaccine efficacy, healthcare hasn't collapsed anywhere as a result and natural immunity levels have been boosted massively as the virus has done it's thing despite redundant masking.

Positive times. Even if the positivity case rate has fallen without mitigations or vaccines.