Gov't calls for caution as daytime karaoke sessions spread coronavirus

I personally think the government should have went into a "TOTAL SHUTDOWN" of the entire country for two weeks when this covid thing hit. People would have had no problem being shut down because they really didn't know or understand what was going on so everyone would have accepted the rule of the law. Now that this covid thing has become a see saw, with numbers up and numbers down only to go back up again people are restless and now they don't want to play by any rule. Just as the virus is out of control so are the people they too are out of control because they want to be free again, not to be turned on like a traffic light!!

Gov't calls for caution as daytime karaoke sessions spread coronavirus

Karaoke or anything else people do during the daytime!

Yes indeed that must be it. A new foreigner imported strain now active in the DAYTIME.

But now that it is in Japan it will mutate back to be active only after 8PM in time for the Olympics or just take a holiday then

This story makes no sense. everybody knows the virus in Japan is only active after 8 pm.

It is the cornerstone of Japan’s magnificent success against the virus. How can someone now say the government warn people about DAYTIME activity. Obviously FAKE news.

The SOE is about to be cancelled and the Olympics which is full of DAYTIME activity is about to start. This story isimply can not be true.

A rash of Japanese coronavirus clusters linked to daytime karaoke sessions, prompted a stern warning on Tuesday and calls for caution from authorities.

Good..........I feel safe, then.

The recent clusters, which are spread across the country, come as the Tokyo metropolitan area is nearing the planned end of a state of emergency aimed at curbing the latest wave of coronavirus cases. The Olympics are set to begin in Tokyo in just over four months.

So they can't even handle a couple of small karaoke bars in a small town. Yet, they plan on handling the WORLD in the Olympics. Ok. Sounds like they have things under control.

"We realize that under normal circumstances, karaoke is almost a salon for older people to talk and enjoy themselves, but in the current situation of absolutely trying to prevent infection, these (venues) are rather confined," Nishimura said.

Oh, for real? I knew none of this.........in January 2020.

> > He also called on those in areas still under the state of emergency to refrain from unnecessary trips out of their homes.Economy Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura said on Tuesday

That's a good plan. Why did no one think about this sooner?!?!?

the karaoke parlours?

not the jam packed trains at rush hour??

Lockdowns work to stop the spread of the virus.

and they also work to destroy peoples businesses & livelihood

Most places with karaoke are going to have terrible ventilation, not least for soundproofing, and people cranking out decibels without masks into a shared mic. They are probably also going to be consuming food and drinks located under the "spray". I don't like karaoke, but only because I have a terrible voice. I play the guitar and bass and get my rockstar kicks at home.

Hanami is mentioned above, but it is outside and has epic ventilation. People do not sing or eat communal food on commuter trains, so I doubt they are a source of infection. We'd know about it by now if they were.

ADK99, I’m in east Tokyo too, and completely agree and share my experience with pepelepew.

More and more maskless people in e.g. supermarkets, and more and more staff members (shops, delivery guys, appliance install guys, etc) are huffing and puffing, wearing their flimsy pitta masks barely on their chin, revealing their noses. I’ve seen a few times now a staff member at the suupaa unloading vegetables whilst his mask was on his chin.

My boss just old me that we all have to come into the office every day effective immediately. He's gonna be shortstaffed pretty soon. Sick of this nonsense.

@pepelepew

How about the constantly increasing number of people who just refuse to wear a mask then they go into a convenience store?

Not a single day goes by without seeing at least two or three.

Really?? You're not the first person I've heard say this, but it's completely at odds with my own experience. I walk to my office and don't remember the last time I saw someone walking without a mask, even though it's outside. I go to the combini and/or supermarket every day and don't see anyone unmasked there either.

Not disputing what you're saying, am just curious. Does this depend on where we live? (I'm on the East side of Tokyo)

You simply can’t do anything, because karaoke is part of the culture here. In other countries, for example techno rave parties are. They find a way there every day and especially on weekends to gather and dance illegally, in old buildings, subways, lost factories, at lone beaches, even in the woods, very professional, with ordered pro DJ, light-show , music mixing tables per power generators , beer and cocktail bar....lol Police storm the scene, cash in the corona penalty, and the party sometimes even continues two hours later....rofl The same or similar will happen here, as you can meet privately anywhere or at those small community centers, in now customer-less ryokan banquet halls and such or of course at any of the singers’ homes for example. Nowadays there are karaoke-like tools, computer and phone apps and real karaoke equipment already available at quite affordable prices. Closing facilities and forbidding everything doesn’t solve the problem, in contrary, it is better to canalize the illegal streams of people to keep the overlook, like opening the parlors, but only with one or two separated people per room, providing space, but with disinfectants, distance, air cleaning and circulation and all such. That helps more than unknown illegal gatherings without anti-corona measures at all.

Last week I heard from a group of old people (all in their 70s) that they were planning on doing some daytime drinking together, followed by karaoke because "it's really cheap at the moment". Whilst I sympathize with retired people wanting to make the most of their free time, this seems pretty hypocritical given the previous scapegoating of young people. It's also pretty shameful when the rest of us can't get a drink after work, mostly to protect the older generation.

If they (and I recognize this is a minority) aren't going take sensible precautions then perhaps it is time to end the SoE.

Just close them for two weeks. In fact, close everything for two weeks. Lockdowns work to stop the spread of the virus. The state of emergency has only changed the way the virus is spread.

How about the constantly increasing number of people who just refuse to wear a mask then they go into a convenience store?

If you really believe a piece of cheap paper protects you from infection and transmission, why you have to worry? You are 100% safe right? You never touch your mask, you clean your eye protection?

just you maybe want to blame and hate somebody?

LEAVE the old people alone to enjoy their lives. They built Japan from the ruins of war. They deserve respect. Just because they are old, doesn’t mean they are stupid. 80% of news is Covid19 related and announcements are constantly played in supermarkets and warning signs everywhere.

What? You men the virus doesn't only clock on at 8pm?

But...but...the rules...

A few months ago, young people were blamed at some stage by the authorities for not caring and spreading the virus. But actually, many old people do not care too. Some will be very scared , but some just want to enjoy what is left in their life, and consider that at their age, they can die from everything at anytime.

One owner, did some serious renovations to his karaoke bar, along with having to purchase their own mike!

Smart move.

How about the constantly increasing number of people who just refuse to wear a mask then they go into a convenience store?

so, and what is the risk in a convenient store and supermarket ?

What do you do in a restaurant or a cafe? Ask all people to wear a mask ? Oh dear.

but that’s the places where there is a risk, not a conbini.

Only the shop staff has the authority to ask people to wear a mask. If they were asked and did not , you can say they refused, otherwise they did not refuse anything, they just do not wear a mask.

Wakey wakey, good morning! Great you've noticed.

Hey, i've got news for you. It's something called 花見. You're probably never heard of it. It's where large group of people gather under cherry trees, crammed in a tiny space next to each other. And drink and drink and drink and laugh, sometimes sing. I'm not a scientist and not like we've had one wave of the new virus here, but don't you think this may cause any situation? Like an infection increase?

They always find something and then just don't care about anything else.. Any sane person knew about karaoke parlours and how the number of people increased since the 20:00 restaurant close. But government thought it's only the restaurant. Which only caused that the rush hours changed. That's pretty much it.

How many meetings, panels and discussions always go into this..

100% agree with @Zoroto , just another scapegoat to deflect from the complete ineptitude of the bureaucrats.

Geez, who would have thought there was a Covid risk for sitting in a tiny karaoke box at daytime, sharing mics shoulder to shoulder and spraying particles everywhere.

Said no epidemiologist ever.

Europe is experiencing a third wave and lockdowns again , and it's only a matter of times before it hits the rest, as predicted in MId May.

Is this an attempt to spice up things? All the along the narrative has been Nightlife and Night Clubs are the main agents for the spread of the Virus. Since the night time narrative has been overused now it's time to deploy the Day time one? What a time we are living in now.

It's the government throwing a cup of water on a raging inferno and claiming they're doing all they can. All they can do is wag their little fingers at dumb citizens instead of actually enacting policy that would make a difference in reducing infection spread. It's honestly pathetic.

Is this an attempt to spice up things? All the along the narrative has been Nightlife and Night Clubs are the main agents for the spread of the Virus. Since the night time narrative has been overused now it's time to deploy the Day time one? What a time we are living in now.

How about the constantly increasing number of people who just refuse to wear a mask then they go into a convenience store?

Not a single day goes by without seeing at least two or three.

The other day I had two guys coming behind me when I was washing my hands and when I told them to wait outside the little hallway and wear a mask they didn't even bother answering.

That's the kind of thing the police should be focusing on, not people who accidentally use the wrong bathroom.

There was a report on this the other night on the news. One owner, did some serious renovations to his karaoke bar, along with having the customers, all regulars were over 60, to purchase their own mike!

The cheapest mike he had there, was for ￥20,000, and had over 200 mikes, in enclosed cases hanging in cabinets on his walls.

He has managed to stay open during the pandemic, and as of the report, ZERO infections!

Meanwhile, millions of people get jam packed into trains everyday throughout Tokyo.

But it's the old folks doing karaoke we should worry about.

I never understood the logic to keep everything open during the day time and then close by night,like the virus got it’s own schedule.

Another non sense rule like the GOTO spread,go figure.

Isn’t this the demographic we’ve ALL been trying to protect *@Whatsnext 7:15a? - “*about 9,000 have died since the pandemic began.” -

I always thought karaoke should be a banned activity!

Sounds like the neighborhood clinic! “*Many feature small rooms lined with sofas in which groups can talk for hours....under normal circumstances,... almost a salon for older people to talk and enjoy themselves,"*

Let people be free to sing if they want to.

All this media does is fear monger the elderly.

And,... the cycle renews. Why be surprised?

In my living neighborhood are 2 Karaoke Parlors, which are both closed since last year summer.

Some eldery from my neigborhood used to go there, but because they are closed, they stopped Karaoke times with friends.

They said to go to other Karaoke Parlors they have to ride by train, but that is too troublesome for them.

They are waiting that these 2 places here will reopen again, but nobody knows if and when.

The mortality rate for Japan is lower than 2019.

When the deadly pandemic hits give me a shout

in the meantime please “leave those kids alone”

As I’ve said a million times, it all comes down to common sense, which many people have none.