Gov't to decide on extension of state of emergency on Friday

On Wednesday there was the OC test event in Sapporo with international athletes and now they want to include Hokkaido to the list. This government is completely lost and does not have the balls to just cancel OS and start executing vaccinations. There is still not clear plan for vaccinations. At the same time trains are full with office workers and students, but restaurants and bars must be closed....logic?

With no change in new cases since before the latest SOE, I’m quite sure the decision has already been made.

The number of journalists interviewing Suga show absolutely no common sense at all as they are not standing apart from each other and that in a microcosm is what is wrong with life in big cities such as Tokyo and Osaka show.

@justasking: haha - exactly. That did indeed make me laugh 'hidden from mainstream media'

State of Emergency? They don't seem to be talking about increasing the capacity of the hospitals to deal with this "emergency". Perhaps if they spent a little less time and money on nonsensical posturing and a little more on medical capability the situation would improve.

hidden from mainstream media

Conspiracy theory right there.

....I would be quite happy with either or Moderna now!

@Goodlucktoyou: Proof please. From REPUTABLE sources.....and by the way Good Luck To You!

I have many friends, including my Mother back in the UK who did, indeed have quite a rough day - one day after the first shot of AZ. Everybody fine after that.

My Brother, His Wife in Ireland, and several friends in the US have had Pfizer with ZERO side effects.

Sorry to disappoint you, but I'm far from an anti-vaxxer. I'm fully vaccinated and so are my kids, that is with real vaccines that were the result of many years of study and research.

The covid vaccine on the other hand, it's been pushed down our throats by media, politicians and billionaire overlords, if your gut feeling doesn't tell you there is something wrong, I guess they did a good job on you. I guess I am a covid vaccine only anti-vaxxer.

My parents who got vaccinated over a month ago have already been "carded" (proof of being vaxxed) a few times already before entering places. Since I got my second dose of Moderna yesterday, I won't have to worry about being refused entry anywhere I go as things open up. So I'm glad that they "did a good job on [me]."

Also, out of 10 vaccinated family members (including myself) that I've spoken to, we've experienced very mild to no side effects. I'd happily take these minor effects (or even worse ones) over actually getting COVID any day. And I hope one day you and your family will feel the same.

Our resident anti-vaxxer arrived. A bit late, but better later than never to hear your wisdomful comments.

You do know not only are people dying or having serious side effects from AstraZeneca and J&J, but hidden from mainstream media is that the same thing is happening with “emergency” mRNA vaccines Pfizer and Moderna. But of course sheep follow blindly.

Setagaya City will vaccinate 100,000 75yo+ people until July 31st. I just want to cry.

Our resident anti-vaxxer arrived. A bit late, but better later than never to hear your wisdomful comments.

Sorry to disappoint you, but I'm far from an anti-vaxxer. I'm fully vaccinated and so are my kids, that is with real vaccines that were the result of many years of study and research.

The covid vaccine on the other hand, it's been pushed down our throats by media, politicians and billionaire overlords, if your gut feeling doesn't tell you there is something wrong, I guess they did a good job on you. I guess I am a covid vaccine only anti-vaxxer.

@theResident

Not sure when the petition started and what is a good result in Japan for these. It's now about 58,000 so about 2,000 per hour. Rather slow indeed. 80% of Japanese are against the Games this year but very few take a minute of their time to sign an online petition. I observed the same thing when the Mori petition was on. Wonder why...

However, I still believe that the Games will not happen in 2021. This is just too stupid and dangerous to happen. Call me an optimist.

I totally agree @zichi. Total nonsense here. Especially with the first data being released about transmissibility.

@Jsapc - In typical Japanese fashion, the Government has announced that Moderna will likely (read, as 100% done) be approved on May 20th. What I do find disturbing is that any news about the AZ vaccine has now gone quiet. I assume because of the incredibly rare problems with blood clots in Europe. Such a shame as this is/was actually being manufactured here by Daiichi Sankyo. Filed for approval around the same time as Moderna.

"I can't help but regard the situation as still quite serious," Tokyo Gov Yuriko Koike told reporters Wednesday.

No! Really?!? "Still quite serious"? Good grief; could you make more of an understatement? Just stop faffing about and push out the vaccines already so you don't completely sink an economy already in recession into the mud.

Less monkey business, more vaccinations. I fail to understand how Japan, a modern developed nation, has bungled the handling of vaccines so badly.

zichi:

Mass vaccinations in countries like the UK have greatly reduced the numbers of new cases and deaths.

Granted, last Monday was a bank holiday, but still 1 death in the whole of the country is really something!

27 deaths yesterday made up for that quiet weekend, but still, Japan can learn from this. The number of daily deaths and cases in Japan continues to be, at the very least, twice as much as the UK (and probably going up).

I’m wondering what the payoff for the LDP is for holding up the vaccines? There must be something going on...

That's the 100k$ question. Why in god's name are they slowing the vaccine rollout so much? Why are they stocking up the moderna and astra-zeneca without using it? What the hell is going on?!

I’m wondering what the payoff for the LDP is for holding up the vaccines? There must be something going on...

Vaccinating as rapidly as possible is a no brainer.

The Japanese people have a lot of patience.

Nice social distancing (and during a "State of Emergency") by the people in the left part of the picture.

Clearly they are vaccinated, splendid!

*"I can't help but regard the situation as still quite serious,"** Tokyo Gov Yuriko Koike told reporters Wednesday.*

What!?? They don't even understand Covid19 at all. She may as well have just said:

'I'm living in La-La land and am so drunk on tax money I don't understand the world you all claim to be living in.'

@Pim - 54,000. Hardly momentum. Time of no return has passed. Olympics will take place at any cost.

Just get on and vaccinate. We can put an end to this whole debacle in 3-4 months if so.

Restaurants can reopen, and make money, this nonsensical WFH thing can finish, before society forgets social interaction and students can start learning in real life again - again putting an end to lessons by video and stop stunting ability to interact normally.

Well for all their faults the Japanese government are doing far better than many, especially the UK and the USA.

So let's not be too quick to condemn them, but of course the experts here on J T know more than most about just about everything,

I'm not reading the subtle messaging with the assistant basketball coach suit.

Can someone help a little please?

For some reason, I cannot get a clean hyperlink but there's a petition in Japanese on change.org to stop the Olympics, initiated by Kenji Utsunomiya. 54,000 signatures so far, gaining momentum.

Spot the word 'quasi' in the article again.

Aly: I'll eat my hat if the LDP loses in the next national elections. Suga may be gone one day, but he'll only be replaced by another LDP PM. This country is predictable.

Is it only me, or do others also find this man completely insufferable?

No it isn't only you. Not at all. My wife said yesterday that after this no one will vote LDP and I replied many still will and everyone who does deserves whatever COVID does to them- loss of business, illness, whatever. They vote for these clowns after all this then they OWN the state of affairs in their country. Nuff said.

I am back in the business...back in the morning trains...back to a company which refuses Home Office.

my company too. Sucks. My next door neighbor works full time from home. I envy him. I quit trains and bought a second car to commute to work, just because I don't feel safe on the trains anymore. WE NEED MORE people working from home including teachers who can hold virtual classes. This is happening in many developed nations, but as usual, Japan has to lag behind.

Here's a wild idea: How about vaccinating everyone and be done with COVID?

Be done with the 'rona by vaccination? Even with vaccines people still have to Social Distance, wear masks and you know, the whole circus. There's no incentive to get the experimental vaccine.

Whether they extend or not won’t make much difference because people are cramming on the trains and living cheek by jowl as usual. What this ineffectual government needs to do is roll out the vaccinations as soon as possible to as many as possible. The UK will be giving people a third top-up jab soon. Less than 2% in Japan have received even their first vaccination. Totally pathetic.

Here's a wild idea: How about vaccinating everyone and be done with COVID?

Unless Japan have mass vaccinations there will be another state of emergency and another and another while other countries are gearing up to fully reopen their economy and travel.

The way it's going right now, it looks like next year Europe and the United States will be fully reopen while Japan will have another "Gov't to decide on..."

this stupid SOE damaged his and millions of other hardworking peoples well deserved holidays.

That may be true for long trips, but in Kanto, highways were crowded everyday and many from Tokyo flew to the other prefectures to enjoy one day trips, in places where no SoE or Manbo.

Texas A&M Aggie

Don't blame that on the people of Japan. It's an issue of leadership of lack thereof. When they declare state of emergency, quasi-state of emergency, medical emergency, etc, etc, all with requests not to go out or to go out until 7pm or 8pm or stay home please; or they request restaurants to close at 8pm,and then decide 7, and then 8, and then request they don't serve alcohol, or alcohol depending on the area; or they request department stores to close, or not go close, depending on the area; or offer support payments to some businesses and not others, and certainly none to the ordinary person; or send 2 small masks to the ordinary person; declare national tourism and eating at restaurant campaigns during the pandemic, then cancel them, then plan to restart them as soon as possible... Are you confused? All that and general population still can't easily get officially tested, nor are vaccinations hardly rolling out; but the Olympics must go on.

The latest is that train operators are going to actually reduce numbers of trains, to "reduce numbers of commuters". But all that will do is cause even more into already extremely packed trains in in the mornings now. You'd think it would be the opposite, right? No, because it is "quite difficult" for japanese companies to allow people to work from home. Similar with schools. It's all "quite difficult".

Are you confused? I am, and the Japanese people are. We just do what we do. What else can we do?

I am back in the business...back in the morning trains...back to a company which refuses Home Office.

Today trains are not so crowded as usual because many people are still on holiday.

From monday everything will be as usual.

One of my commuter friends here said, he stayed at home during the holidays, watched Netflix and was drunk every night, and he was completely pissed because this stupid SOE damaged his and millions of other hardworking peoples well deserved holidays.

He also said he wants the Olympics be canceled, so that he hopefully can enjoy the Obon vaccation.

But he guess that the Obon vaccation will be also damaged.

Either by the risk of having thousands of athletes and staff from overseas in town, or either by a new SOE for Obon.

World media (BBC, American network TV, etc.) is showing multiple examples of crowded and non-physical distancing at places and venues around the nation as this debilitating and deadly virus continues to ravage that country

Which nation and country ?

Are half the nations businesses and retailers suppossed to twiddle their thumbs till Fridays annoucement?

World media (BBC, American network TV, etc.) is showing multiple examples of crowded and non-physical distancing at places and venues around the nation as this debilitating and deadly virus continues to ravage that country. The Japanese people have chosen to selfishly ignore the guidance/dictums of their scientific/medical experts and government leaders; people who know much much better what's best for them. They alone are to blame for any upcoming SoE extension.

They have to extend. But probably a number of rear-ends need to be covered in the process.

Zoroto,

not only insufferable but incompetent as well.

I thought he would be an uncharismatic technocrat. He’s turned out to be an uncharismatic buffoon.

Or they could say today what we all know they are going to say: lock down extended.

And I’m on the train now because I volunteered to come into work for a deadline that cannot be delivered remotely. It’s packed. Some SOE.

OH, AND CANCEL THE OLYMPICS.

"The emergency declaration's impact had started to show as the number of people moving around has undoubtedly decreased,"

Nothing to do with it being Golden Week so commuter trains weren't packed to capacity then?

Also a daily test average of fewer than 3500 out of a 30 M population has to be factored in.

You can always rely on the LDP for expecting credit for the sun coming up in the morning. But when things go wrong, look somewhere else for accountability.

Gov't to decide on extension of state of emergency on Friday

What is really being discussed amongst these corrupt governors:

”We have no choice apart from the no brainer of cancelling these Olympics, sou desu ne?”

They're very good at extending these half-assed SoE, and much worse at the vaccine roll outs. I'm so tired of this. When will they make the 10,000 a day vaccine centers they promised? Have they even started building them? When will Moderna and the other vaccines be approved? When will they ramp up production of the longer needles that they need so they don't waste vaccines in each vial? After the elderly are vaccinated, who is next? Will people who come into contact with large amounts of people everyday (like train conductors, teachers, supermarket workers, etc) be given priority?

I wish they would focus on the vaccines rather than these stupid measures. Everyone knows these new variants are no joke, and the only way out of these endless cycles of SoE extensions and stops and starts are the vaccines. Japanese government- focus and hurry up!!!

But no mention about speeding up the vaccination rollout. What a bunch of useless ministers.

A meeting on Friday...

Meanwhile half the country’s shops and businesses are on standby.