Tokyo reports record high 949 new coronavirus cases; nationwide tally 3,881

I got tested on the 23rd after 6 days of having a fever and flu-like symptoms, plus what looks like COVID toe. Flu test came back negative, twice. I also work at a school. Getting them to agree to test me took this long and only after multiple visits and phone calls to my clinic was I tested. The result came back negative, but who knows, really... As far as my local government is concerned, I don’t have it.

I had all the symptoms and more, but still, I was refused a test at first. Who knows how many people have it and are denied testing?

It’s coming for us here, too, and everyone should be alarmed. One week ago, 1 out of 690 infected, now 1 in 600. And those are the official numbers... With other words, it’s becoming more and more likely to meet or stand beside someone who has it. 600 people...you can be easily amongst them on platforms, in trains, station or department store buildings and the like, to give a little example.

"In a characteristically Japanese way, we have all but brought this epidemic under control in the last month and a half. Surely, it shows the power of the Japan model."

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. May 25th, 2020

9502 tests in a city of 20 million is shameful. Imagine how many people are walking around undiagnosed. Probably 10's of thousands in reality.

No worries, about to hit year end holidays where testings will be wayyy down.

And by early January, the government will use those numbers to re-start go-to travel and go-to-eats and declare themselves the best of the best of the best.

Besides Go To Travel/Go To Eats to funnel money to some key political families, the government don't really care about anything else. Still seeing zero monetary support for all the doctors and nurses taking reduced pay, no bonuses, despite longer hours and added harassment.

So 10% of people with symptoms and getting tested have covid . You can’t really use this to compare other countries as the testing is different. So no one really knows what the spread of covid is in japan .

Curious...How would that "Emergency" look to you? Remember that no rules here in Japan can be forced upon the public.

One part of the Western response (New Zealand, Canada,Australia etc.) was strictly enforced lock-downs. That was the "stick". This was coupled with financial support for those affected. That was the "carrot".

Japanese leaders say there are constitutionally barred from the stick approach and rely on the Japanese public's "sense of moral duty" instead. That is obviously not working so how about a nationwide paid vacation? Relying on that same Japanese sense of "moral duty" and peer pressure to keep people from going out and gathering. Probably would work better than "GoTo" subsidies and keeping people having to commute, work and go out out of economic necessity.

The numbers are increasing at an alarming rate. I do not expect to close everything down, which is not a solution. However, the authorities seem to downplay the situation.

If this “man from Britain” was responsible for the virus how did he get past the PCR test before departure and the test on arrival? Or maybe he didn’t have these tests because he was a Japanese citizen who arrived in Japan as a pilot and wasn’t subject to the same testing regime, which was reported elsewhere. Referring to him as “a man from Britain” plays into the misleading narrative that foreigners are responsible for the spread of Covid in Japan.

Very troubling figures, 10% positive is still far too high. The Tokyo and National governments need to look into declaring an emergency. A campaign needs to start NOW to advise people from Tokyo NOT to return to their hometowns over the holiday period.

The people in hospital with severe symptoms is probably the most relevant figures to be worried about

So, 10% of those tested returned positive results. Let’s see how much that number increases over the new year period. How many new cases do they need to make them realise they are not doing enough to curb the spread of this virus? It’s quite clear they are just holding off until the vaccine is released. It’s a shame it’s gonna be another six months and possibly hundreds of thousand of new cases before any vaccinations are carried out. Let’s hope the vaccine works as well as they are preying for.

I cannot help to wonder what the other 90% of the people had that warranted testing if they had similar symptoms.

I have no doubt the government is breathing a sigh of relief that next week all the clinics and test sites will be closed and so suddenly Corona numbers will have decreased. Of course, come January 7th or so it'll be time to announce the damage done, but they still have time to go the shrine and pray it all away.

So I think this is very weak virus or just all in the head.

Im leaning towards it's all in your head =)

@n1k1

New strain is suppose to be more infectious, by 70% is the number I remember

The virus coming into the country, including this new strain, has been brought in by Japanese citizens.

This would seem to be the case. I would have thought that Japan would have learn't from the mistakes made regarding the Diamond Princess cruise ship.

Recently the number of positive cases in Osaka and Hokkaido have fallen, Hope they have not reduced the number of testing to hold the numbers low,

Number of tests still remaining capped at 10 thousand max, even with sharp increase in the number of cases.

This is a clear proof that contact tracing is not happening adequately.

No emergency thankyou !

unless the government is gonna pay me my $5000/mth salary. I went without any income for 3 months earlier this year, & have no desire to go through that again.

meanwhile Sagamihara City is providing free tests for corona. They will cover cost 20 000yen. All pregnant ladies 32weeks up are to submit to the test.

We got warning that tests may get false positive. If you test positive you can't give birth in that particular hospital and after birth you can't have your baby with you (separate rooms) I am just waiting for info if I am supposed to walk to that particular hospital in case I test positive and taxi or bus and train won't be the option...

The question is get tested or not. I feel healthy with no health problem so my desire to get tested isn't high. But understand the fact that I can possible have it...Hamlet coming: get the test or refuse the test?

I did ask nurse if other expecting mothers are taking the tests but nurse wasn't so eager to answer that particular question.

Your numbers remain VERY low in comparison to other countries. In Italy we have double the figures with half the population. If you were to hit 10x the number (nope, you won't touch wood, fingers crossed etc.) then you might want to worry. As long as you remain vigilant, you'll have little to fear.

Seems like the government should rename Go To Travel into Go To Hospital.

Sorry, I've no more info regarding the new strain, haven't read anything for sometime now and that was old news, so not much concrete info,

Came here looking for discussion/info on the same subject

The new strain of COVID has arrived. They let it just wander in via the airport from people arriving from the UK.

That's simply staggering to me.

Public health professionals made a prediction 3 weeks ago that we in Tokyo would be hitting 1500+ cases a day by years end. Bang on track.

The hospital capacity for severe cases can be increased and hospitals will be able to cope... just.

not good, Japan needs to stay home for a few weeks to stop the spread.

9502 tests in a city of 20 million is shameful. Imagine how many people are walking around undiagnosed. Probably 10's of thousands in reality.

In Sydney we had 40k tests in 24hr

JBToday  06:52 pm JST

I got tested on the 23rd after 6 days of having a fever and flu-like symptoms, plus what looks like COVID toe. Flu test came back negative, twice. I also work at a school. Getting them to agree to test me took this long and only after multiple visits and phone calls to my clinic was I tested. The result came back negative, but who knows, really... As far as my local government is concerned, I don’t have it.

I had all the symptoms and more, but still, I was refused a test at first. Who knows how many people have it and are denied testing?

That's interesting, and I hope you're feeling better. The fact that you tested negative could mean you really had the flu, or that the test was wrong and you did have COVID-19. I'm continuously wondering how many of the asymptomatic people who have tested positive are clear, and how many symptomatic people who test positive have something else.

Fighto!Today  03:44 pm JST

Very troubling figures, 10% positive is still far too high. The Tokyo and National governments need to look into declaring an emergency. 

Curious...How would that "Emergency" look to you? Remember that no rules here in Japan can be forced upon the public.

Same as in April.

I could do the same in April as I do now. Some shops and malls chose (on their own accord) to close down temporarily in April but it didn't force me to keep away from crowds. Most people choose to limit their public outings without the government even suggesting it. The Japanese are not stupid.

New strain is suppose to be more infectious

Right... But how ? Is this some boost in replicability or longer half life or both or what ?

I read somewhere it was traced back to South Africa.

Wait a minute so this a new new strain and different to the one found in the European mink , correct ?

The numbers still too low it should be higher.

Severe symptoms unchanged. That is the best news from this.

By age group, the highest number of cases were people in their 20s (277), followed by 202 in their 30s, 134 in their 50s, 133 in their 40s and 61 in their 60s.

That's 807, so 142 unaccounted for. Hopefully most are in the under 20s category rather than the over-70s.

While the info provided by JT is not unhelpful, the most important number would be the numbers infected aged over 70.

Moderator: You can find that by clicking on the live link in the story.

Keeping hidden most relevant figures :

% positive rate of tested

% people infected above 60

Number of deaths (real, not only those with only Covid symptoms, with real assessment and use of autopsy)

National figures in first position (local ones are irrelevant since it's a pandemy and no lock-down)

Sorry for my scientific approach to cut the sheer ignorance after so many months after covid learning about.

Do the hustle

So, 10% of those tested returned positive results. Let’s see how much that number increases over the new year

The 7-day moving average of the positive rates in Japan is still ca. 6.2%, better than the UK, Germany or the US.

https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/positive-rate-daily-smoothed?tab=chart&time=earliest..latest&country=DEU~JPN~KOR~GBR~USA

i had every symptom of covid on and off since last January and I’m still alive. I think its either really the virus or it was all in my head manifesting the symptoms. So I think this is very weak virus or just all in the head.

For those hoping for a new SoE: What difference will that make? The government of Japan have no power to enforce their requests. Here people are treated like adults and are allowed to make decisions by themselves. If someone is truly craving for nanny states, so called 'modern democracies', lockdowns and useless testing, that someone is free to go to places that will provide that, why keep suffering and whining about Japan's lack of action?

Health officials said a man in his 30s who came back from Britain, and a member of his family tested positive for the new strain of the coronavirus.

Hmm.. What is the big fuss about this new strain ? @virusrex ?