Relief, concerns mixed over having state of emergency lifted early

The SOE hasn’t impacted me at all except for the panic inculcated in the people around me.

The concerns would not be so important if the government was not so quick in going from 0 to 100 and putting forward another Go to travel campaign as soon as the SOE is lifted.

I don't understand this "state of emergency". I have seen ZERO change except a few places closed at 8 p.m. The "state of emergency" is the dumbest thing I have seen. Japan is all about giving titles to things but that is as far as it goes..

The average number of new cases did drop by around 50% during the SOE. However, they want to lift the SOE early and start the Go To campaign again. Everybody will be mingling as they were before and it will only take a couple of weeks for the new cases to increase once again. Japan will never beat this virus.

From the long-term perspective for economic growth , it must be the best solution to keep SOE active much longer , in order not to re-occur cluster and next internal wave of infection .

Otherwise ,It would continue the cycle of COVID reoccurrence and declaring State of Emergency

J politics: Always “slow to ‘respond’ but, quick to “GoTo”.

The only people concerned is the JT comment section crowd, all the Japanese people I know are tired of this nonsense. Those politicians from Chubu are only trying to look worried on TV, I bet you they can't also wait to go back to their fancy steak dinners with their cronies.

Ok, so am I allowed to go to Okinawa now?

I'm wanna book my flight for the golden week before it gets too expensive.

El Rata - I bet you they can't also wait to go back to their fancy steak dinners with their cronies

Unless they are in intensive care fighting for their lives on a respirator with COVID, of course.

That picture of Ebisu Bridge in Dotonbori looks like a ghost town compared to normal. Lack of tourism has really affected many businesses and people lives in Japan. Many depend on tourism for their incomes.

Off to Okinawa soon.. Go to or no go to!

What SOE? Someone needs a dictionary and needs to read the definition of emergency. I’ve seen hardly any changes. In fact, weekends and national holiday last week in particular, it was packed with tourists and shoppers. People here seem to think that wearing a mask = immunity. Absolute madness! This govt should actually be reported for its abusive mishandling of this whole thing.

People keep scare mongering!

The deaths ! oh the J government will kill us all!

What huge rises in deaths from COVID19?

6,000 or so out of a population of 125,000,000.

Yeah lets all panic!

Pathetic.

Whether, whenever the SOE is lifted, the priority is vax rollout alongside further beef-ups of healthcare resources (in collaboration with private hospitals).

Am not worried at all but want GoToTravel back and humming so I can redo our trip coming the third week of March. It is a great travel plan and really helps businesses. We still spent the same amount we planned anyway so it is a plus plus for all businesses...at least for the ones we go to.

@Wobot:The brochures from travel agencies already out for March, so they will not change the prices on you. We booked our Takamatsu to Konpira trip already for March, but our February price schemes a bit cheaper than March. You will not see a large increase at all, but you might have to let them know go to travel is coming onward and you expect the discounts and coupons.

@dan

for many people, if they don’t get their daily dose of scare mongering, they get withdrawal symptoms.

I wonder what they’ll do when the pandemic is over

@tooheysnew

Agreed mate!

Am I the only one that noticed how the official numbers started to drop as soon as the first SOE in january got declared?

It either mean:

The numbers already started to go down "naturally", so the SOE was actually useless.

The numbers are not real at all, and the "smart" people in the government started to decreasing them too early.

Moreover, here in Tokyo they closed some outdoor sport areas (basket, soccer...) from today (27th) till March 7th, because of the virus.

If they did it as soon as the SOE started, I could accept it, but doing it now, just one week before it will be lifted, doesn't make any sense. Just a way to show that they did something. Pathetic....

They are doing go to travel campaingn allowing olympic atheletes without quarantine but when it comes to foriegn student they are no allowed even if we double test qnd quarantine. japan the most baised country in the world. Japan politics and everyrules for foriegner sucks.

The Government must publish a clear policy on providing and administering a comprehensive vaccination program. With straight forward information that will create trust for elderly people with serious underlying health conditions.

With the Olympics fast approaching, there appears to be a government wide state of inaction.

Matej

one question-what is outcome from that so caled "state of emergency"?

dont need some meaningless empty talk but facts.

Good luck waiting for an answer. You are talking about random rules made up by power-intoxicated politicians without a basis in reality.

Thankfully, more and more people are saying they had enough of this.

The end result: Bye Bye Olympics.