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Panel may advise easing virus controls in some areas; Hokkaido to end state of emergency

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Good news.

I think we may have passed the point of peak fear here in Japan.

Still a good way to go overseas though...

-23 ( +9 / -32 )

Very glad to hear.

-9 ( +6 / -15 )

Not a good move.

What is this based on? Low official numbers that are seriously wrong because of limited restricted testing?

Anyone believing Japan is over the peak is very seriously deluding themselves.

26 ( +34 / -8 )

It was never needed. Panic mongering doesn't help anyone. Be calm.

-18 ( +12 / -30 )

@Jeff. Serious question - Do you think all other countries in the world are handling this incorrectly? In addition do you think the WHO recommendations are wrong?

21 ( +24 / -3 )

This is a mistake. Coronavirus epidemic in Japan is just warming up.

12 ( +20 / -8 )

Well it looks like in Hokkaido at least, they finally have gotten this under control. That’s a good sign for the rest of us, because it shows that in a month or two, everywhere else should be at about the same point, depending on what part of the world you’re in.

-12 ( +5 / -17 )

If they are indeed jumping the gun, like some of you have suggested, and it does indeed come back, then fine. They were foolish, and we can do the whole “told you so” thing then.

But if not, and they were right all along, and this is indeed a very encouraging sign, and the rest of us should be very hopeful. Because it would clearly show that the light is at the end of the tunnel, and the rest of us should expect the same sorts of things fairly soon.

-4 ( +6 / -10 )

No mention in the article that Hokkaido have it under control.

They have come to the end of the decreed period of lockdown, and there is probably huge business pressure to end it and switch to something less oppressive.

14 ( +15 / -1 )

I hope the early action by the Governor of Hokkaido has led to seriously impeding the spread.

I fear that the spread is continuing unabated, especially outside Japan, as people are becoming complacent, because with very limited testing, the real scale is masked and the worst is still ahead of us.

If the Olypmic question were out of the way, I'd have more trust in the national governments efforts and words.

10 ( +10 / -0 )

anon99999:

Not a good move.

What is this based on? Low official numbers that are seriously wrong because of limited restricted testing?

Anyone believing Japan is over the peak is very seriously deluding themselves.

It's only Hokkaido, a northern island, not the entire Japan.

-10 ( +2 / -12 )

I'd feel WAY more comfortable if they could explain in detail why, as case numbers continue to climb and the experience of every other country with an outrbreak suggests we are nowhere near the peak, they feel they can declare victory now. It makes no sense, we are clearly in the middle of the epidemic, not at its end.

Also, what is this "new stage" they are moving on to? The public needs detailed information, not these generalizations that tell us nothing of substance when a major decision like this is made.

15 ( +16 / -1 )

Lucky people who live in Hokkaido and Japan...

-7 ( +2 / -9 )

What suddenly happened to the Hokkaido governor? He has started towing the official line now. A pity because he was one of the first governors in Japan to take if seriously. I have a feeling that it's a case of the old, tried and tested , "The nail that...".

Then he asked people nicely not to go out this long weekend....

7 ( +8 / -1 )

If they are indeed jumping the gun, like some of you have suggested, and it does indeed come back, then fine. They were foolish, and we can do the whole “told you so” thing then.

This is not a game of words. If they are wrong the consequences of it coming back are rather far more serious than the whole "told you so" thing and it will not be fine at all.

9 ( +11 / -2 )

It seem Hokkaido can sustain the control of spread of coronovirus so it ended the state of emergency. If the state of emergency continues ever, its economy get worst. They know some infected clusters would happen somehow, they would trace clusters and quarantine them every time. No one can terminate such virus forever.

-3 ( +1 / -4 )

Being as Hokkaido is part of Japan it is possible for people to get infected at any time..

3 ( +4 / -1 )

The number of test cannot be overlooked. Hokkaido has so far carried out 1574 test.

Is it enough, I think it is too few of greater importance is knowing the number of cases requiring testing that was turned down.

5 ( +6 / -1 )

All it takes is one infected person going to a concert or large gathering. And then...

4 ( +6 / -2 )

@zichi

Nonsense. Of course an infected person can pass it on, any gathering of people in close contact, like a concert, is a perfect place spread the virus. Can't keep 2 metres apart there, and few places and opportunities to wash your hands, lots of face touching............

10 ( +11 / -1 )

The headline

Panel may advise easing virus controls in some areas

Why on Earth is Japan going in the opposite direction of virtually every other country in the world?

12 ( +14 / -2 )

Not sure I understand the logic behind this since 72 new cases of infection are reported in Japan on https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/.

6 ( +7 / -1 )

Way to go Japan, pulling together to ease our hardships. Great news!!!

-3 ( +2 / -5 )

@Tokyo-Engr

Panel may advise easing virus controls in some areas

Why on Earth is Japan going in the opposite direction of virtually every other country in the world?

According to the Nikkei Asian Review, the Japanese economy contracted by an annualized 6.3% in final quarter of 2019. That was biggest contraction in five years.

CNN Business Feb. 2020: "Japan's economy is shrinking and a recession looks 'all but inevitable'"

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Welcome back common sense I missed you.

China is returning to normal too so of course Japan should too.

Hopefully common sense proves more contagious than this years strain of corona.

Day by day people are realizing the stupidity and real dangers of locking the world down.

-6 ( +4 / -10 )

J inc. only has until the end of May to make sure everyone catches Covid, and for the majority to recover so they can cling to that Olympic cash cow.

As dark as that thought is, it's the only thing that makes any sense of the lack of testing and the easing of restrictions.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

Before criticizing this measures, everyone should check the current situation of your countries. Unfortunately, most countries are in terrible situation.

-4 ( +1 / -5 )

At the same time they are restricting visitors from 30 countries from midnight Friday.  So this is not a universal relaxation.

Yes, the panic does fell a little overdone, stoked by the press.  but if isoplation reduces infections then it should be pursued as far as practically possible.  not sure it should have caused the total meltdown we are seeing, but who knew?

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Pneumonia facts

2.56 million people died from pneumonia in 2017. Almost a third of all victims were children younger than 5 years, it is the leading cause of death for children under 5

1 ( +2 / -1 )

If state of emergency continues for years until perfect extinction of coronavirus, state's economy would be over and could fall in default. so better restart businesses as soon as possible if they can sustain to control the spread of the virus anyway, but not perfectly.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

test no virus see no virus...

japan...clueless until the end.

5 ( +6 / -1 )

Now the authorties say we should avoid travel between Hyogo and Osaka. Since so many travel into Osaka from Hyogo for work I don't see that happening. Too late anyway, the virus has been in Hyogo for a couple of weeks.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

It was never needed. Panic mongering doesn't help anyone. Be calm.

Exactly right. Unfortunately your comment does not fit the world media's narrative.

-4 ( +0 / -4 )

Well, when you only test 12/1,000,000 people, you're bound to have your head in the sand about how few cases there are and how "safe" it is to lift restrictions and allow things like baby-sitting -- errr... school -- to resume so the kids aren't at the parks or McDonald's anymore. I have no doubt this is simply an attempt to shore up spending and avoid the economy grinding to a halt. It'll backfire, though, if people go back to their usual lifestyles completely.

That said, schools should NOT have been closed the way they were, and the government knows that and hence the backtracking and finger pointing later. When you immediately jump to the to top rung on the ladder, there is no higher up you can climb later, when they should have taken it step by step. Seems Abe and Co are incapable of finding a happy medium between extremes of stupidity, and here we are again preparing for the "Oh, it's nothing. It's all okay now."

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Coronavirus infections through four live music venues in Osaka appear to be over as no new cases among visitors have been reported for a week, local authorities said Thursday.

And since all of them teleported from the venue till their place then stayed there without moving until they were tested positive, the problem is solved.

Do they by any chance think a cluster is some kind of special place were the virus spread but outside of these the virus doesn't spread. This place self generate from a infected person. Once the cluster is generated people coming inside it can be contaminated but neither them nor the one which generated the cluster will contaminate anybody as long as he doesn't create a new cluster ? Or something like that ?

0 ( +1 / -1 )

I have no idea how badly it will affect them but there are far more people in far worse situations than they are.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

I am sure that will feed their families then. Easy to be so flippant until its you

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Now you're being flippant

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Despite a rough start with the cruise ship passengers Japan has done a good job in minimizing the viruses spread - based on the numbers. There may be a lot to the idea that cultural differences have a significant impact. In touchy-feely Italy, where large multigenerational families gather frequently, the virus spread very quickly. In Japan families are small and people avoid excessive touching. Americans are more towards the Italians and that could project a difficult path ahead for them.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

Facetious:

treating serious issues with deliberately inappropriate humour; flippant.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Well here’s some positive news

*In a study published Wednesday by French physician-researchers, a total of 36 patients (20 who were treated with chloroqine and 16 controls who were not) revealed that *50% of the treated group turned from positive to negative on the third day - which grew to 70% by the sixth day.

invalid CSRF

1 ( +1 / -0 )

@tora.

The whole philosophy of the modern world is at stake

Logical reasoning

Freedom of movement

A better life for my children than me

A believe in scientific reasoning

And we are going to waste it all over a great panic? So yes, I may answer threats to my way of life flippantly but this is not facetious topic

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

Wolfpack said "But the Chinese must also accept responsibility for their initial failures by silencing and arresting physicians who tried to sound the alarm about the spreading contagion. Then they withheld information from the outside world."

Where did you get your information that "they withheld information from the outside world" ?

Now every efforts to stop this pandemic are based on information obtained by Chinese. Have you ever show your appreciation of that ? From vaccines to antivirals drugs, they are all based on Chinese sequences, perhaps you should call them Wuhan vaccines, or Chinese vaccines, let alone Chinese made masks, Chinese made ventilators, Chinese made suits, Chinese made test kits.

Japan and Korea, along with Vietnam and Mongolia, all fight hard to stop the pandemic successfully. Blame your govts for failed policy to stop the virus and wasted valuable time gained by Chinese people.

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

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