Japan to keep event attendance cap until February

@Waywardnihon

Do you have a citation for reporting on these clusters, preferable with case numbers? Japanese is fine.

Below are from my quick search, probably not exhaustive. Note that I never intend to instigate prejudice or xenophobic sentiments.....aside from foreign community, sex industries, gay and LGBTs have also been spelled out.

In the government virus response, the primary strategy is to find and strike clusters within a particular group of people in a particular location. Thus to pinpoint and publish the target is valid and acceptable. It's also fair to notice that Nishimura and local officials have stressed increasing support for foreign residents under life & livelihood crisis due to the pandemic. Nitpicking and teasing a tiny part of his statement out of the whole context won't bear anything.

==

Gunma

群馬 ブラジル人などにコロナ感染拡大 外国語での啓発強化へ

2020年9月17日 20時57分

https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20200917/k10012623981000.html

Gihu

岐阜で２０人感染　外国人学校でクラスター

2020年11月12日 20時02分 

https://www.chunichi.co.jp/article/153255

Saitama

＜新型コロナ＞２８人感染　クラスターか…外国人コミュニティーで２日以降に１７人　県や川越市が調査

10/9(金) 21:28

https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/2dffb0843f7d07f56b04d4b1c11cbdc6ca416e99

Ibaraki (a note within the article; quoted below)

カレー店でクラスター、休憩中にマスク外し飲食・会話

2020/11/12 11:23

https://www.yomiuri.co.jp/national/20201112-OYT1T50094/

大井川知事が１１日の臨時記者会見で公表した「外国人コミュニティー」のクラスター（感染集団）は、県南地域にあるカレーチェーン店で働く店長や従業員、その家族ら計１６人のネパール人だ。関係者への取材でわかった。いずれも取手市か守谷市に住んでいる。

関係者によると、店員らは就業時にはマスクを着用していた。しかし、休憩中は外して飲食や会話をしていた。仕事ではない場面で気の緩みがあり、感染が拡大した可能性もあるという。

until February

because that's when COVID-19 will end?

This seems to be causing outcry here... In fact, sizable clusters have recently been reported within foreign communities across the country (e.g. Gifu, Saitama, Tochigi, Ibaraki, etc.). That is just a fact, and the phenomenon is more conspicuous in terms of cluster size and rapid growth. The public notice is thus valid.

Do you have a citation for reporting on these clusters, preferable with case numbers? Japanese is fine.

The 'foreign' population in Japan is around 2.9 million, or 2.3% of the total population. Translating that to covid-19 cases, that would be around 2500 cases proportionally (of the total 111000ish).

I cannot find any data as to nationalities in the covid reporting, so I don't know if 'foreigners' constitute disproportionately more cases, but I would hope that such data is readily available if government officials are claiming that certain groups are problematic.

The government is planning to ease travel restrictions for athletes and staff participating in the Summer Games and is mulling whether to do the same for spectators.

This is kinda like forcing Okinawans to throw bamboo spears at American fighters bomber in wW2, except Suga wants all Japanses to commit suicide this time.

Sorry, Nishimura, but when I go into a convenience store, I wear a mask making the foreign contingent at 100% for wearing a mask. The other 10 Japanese in the store with only 4 of them wearing a mask makes their % at only 40.

You're wrong about foreigners are less likely to wear a mask here in Japan. Clueless and finger pointing at "the other".

Nishimura voiced concerns over COVID-19 spreading among foreign residents of Japan, saying they may be less inclined to wear face masks or visit hospitals when feeling ill.

Yeah.....take a look at your male Japanese population first, Nishimura.

Walk around your smaller local neighborhoods where the foreign population is minimal and the abundant moronic Japanese male population either don't have masks at all or is tucked away nicely under their chins or noses, doing absolutely nothing for anyone.

Before you make anymore asinine comments, how about you try joining us in the real world for just one second.

Got to make sure all these businesses go bankrupt for the great reset!

Meanwhile, Nishimura voiced concerns over COVID-19 spreading among foreign residents of Japan,

This seems to be causing outcry here... In fact, sizable clusters have recently been reported within foreign communities across the country (e.g. Gifu, Saitama, Tochigi, Ibaraki, etc.). That is just a fact, and the phenomenon is more conspicuous in terms of cluster size and rapid growth. The public notice is thus valid.

saying they may be less inclined to wear face masks or visit hospitals when feeling ill

He shouldn't have rushed to wild interpretations without hard evidence. Sure, this point is a bit insenstive.

At the same time, Nishimura stressed that the government would furhter increase support for international residents on the virus control. I find this part remarkable (but missing in the article above...)

Meanwhile, Nishimura voiced concerns over COVID-19 spreading among foreign residents of Japan, saying they may be less inclined to wear face masks or visit hospitals when feeling ill

"may be"

Well, I, with equal authority, can say that foreign residents "may be" more inclined to get tested. I don't really have any data to back it up, but whatever :)

@AG

Meanwhile, Nishimura voiced concerns over COVID-19 spreading among foreign residents of Japan, saying they may be less inclined to wear face masks or visit hospitals when feeling ill.

Unbelievable how someone in the government can say something like this without facing consequences.

Concur ...

Meanwhile, Nishimura voiced concerns over COVID-19 spreading among foreign residents of Japan, saying they may be less inclined to wear face masks or visit hospitals when feeling ill.

Unbelievable how someone in the government can say something like this without facing consequences.

All the offices I go, the people who wear the mask less, or with the “nose out” are actually locals.

Foreign residents are more than aware the official numbers are far from the truth, continuing most of them to wear mask, and correctly.

Also you don’t see many foreigners inside packed izakayas these days for sure, knowing the real risk they are facing.

The virus knows no borders or nationalities.

It is easier to “shame and blame” than take the responsibility of taking stricter measures instead of, amongst other bizarre actions, relaxing business travellers to fly from risk countries as China, now without PCR before or upon arrival some of them, but keeping quarantine - total non sense, as I mentioned in other post. Please contact Tokyo Immigration Services who will confirm this to you, in case you do not believe.

Also

less inclined to (...) visit hospitals when feeling ill.

Where does this even come from? Try to go to a hospital with a fever these days, being local or not, you’ll be sent home and you will not have access to a PCR test even if you have all symptoms. Should you require one, you must wait 3-4 days suffering with a fever at home, or second option is to pay ¥40,000 in the private sector to get tested.

Instead of blaming other nationalities, creating an “outside enemy” - classic dictatorship-like speech to get the people to blindly trust your irrational actions - assume the extreme incompetence and take responsibility from now to take some control of this spread, because full control... we’re already 10 months late.

Lastly, I hope to see foreign diplomats saying something about this and pushing for this Nishimura to leave his job and let someone younger, and more qualified to take action as, this is pure racism, in a time we need to forget out differences and behave together in the best way to avoid spread of this dangerous virus.

February is only 5 months before the Olympics.

Just sayin'.