Tokyo governor warns of explosion in COVID-19 cases

Look at the photo. No one is taking the virus seriously, complacency and poor leadership to blame. Yesterday and today I went shopping but the crowds were horrendous, I just left, it’s not worth the risk.

Still, no serious measures taken by the government and...

Getting tested is still nearly impossible - I guess by now we know of someone who tried to get tested and could not as the health center decides you do not tick all the boxes for it.

Koike san, Suga san, allow everyone to get tested if they wish to. Make it an easy and quick process.

This would be a great start, as no one who believes being positive will be able to take 15 days off work without an official positive test result, resulting in further spreading and in the explosion of cases you are talking about.

Meanwhile, the U.K. has just approved the use of the Astra Zeneca vaccine.

Japan, stop dawdling on the vaccine and start enforcing social distancing now.

"Look at the photo. No one is taking the virus seriously, complacency and poor leadership to blame."

Look again. Everyone is wearing masks. If you want to see what poor leadership look at the west and read some of the stats. For example:

Hospitals near capacity as record 53,000 new COVID cases put UK 'back in the eye of the storm'

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-12-30/hospitals-near-capacity-53000-test-covid-19-positive-uk-record/13019400

No worries Japan new they were invincible until the new UK variants lol. You will be sad too much fear monger happenings

Look again. Everyone is wearing masks

Masks help, but the belief that just wearing a mask is enough is one reason why the infection numbers here are spiking. You also need to wash your hands and keep two metres away from others when outside. Two metres. Never seen that happen here, never. Shops, izakaya, libraries, etc all I see is people huddled together, which is insane.

Yes, we need vaccines, we need action. Enough of talk and daily reports.

AG..... getting tested is not nearly impossible. Its actually quite easy.

If you have symptoms that warrant a test or have been in known contact with someone who has the virus, call the designated hotline number or a medical clinic. They will direct you to the appropriate facility. If you DON’T fulfil these requirements but would still like to have a test then there are numerous private facilities ready to take your money to satisfy your curiosity or imagination.

You may have meant, we need a trusted and working vaccine, right? Yes, where is it? Well, you are not alone, no one else also has still not seen it. lol

No worries Japan is strong they must be immune..

I notice she didn't say please emphasize life over work. Still gotta pack those rush hour trains with the unwashed salarymen face to armpit.

Meanwhile - Essex in the UK, declared a ''Major Incident'' 90 minutes ago as hospitals are literally a day away from being overwhelmed. I am English and love my country, but its filthy. Infastructure is filthy, Public Toilets, filthy. Streets filthy. General hygiene levels much much poorer than here overall - no one thinks that has worsened the situation there? On/Off lockdown since March but STILL rampant. Your idea of social distancing hasn't really worked there. There is a general ignorance here, in Japan of social distancing, I agree. BUT - everybody and we know literally everybody has been wearing a mask since March now. Compliance in the UK....30% at best. @Luddite complains about the shops being busy, well - go earlier. Travel bookings are 30% of previous years so people are staying put, but what do you expect them to do, NOT go shopping for food. Supermarkets in the UK are BUSY BUSY BUSY (as there in no where else to go)- hence they have special times for the over 65's. Its not perfect here but its not quite as bad as some of you would make it out to be. Still rather be here than in Europe for the Winter.

Well, if you are anti-Tokyo Olympic (which I am) I suppose there is a silver lining. There is no way they can stage the Games amid such an incompetent response. Sayonara Tokyo Olympics.

Experts said vaccine makers would need to run at least Phase I and II trials in Japan before seeking approval for use.

Shocking news, that means we are far away from a vaccine roll out here in Japan.

2m apart is impossible in many places

But possible in many places by using a bit of common sense and organisation. Limiting the numbers of customers in a shop at any one time, and introducing a one way system around the shop, protects customers and, especially, staff. Many countries around the world have been doing this since March. You can do this in schools, libraries, City Halls and larger restaurants etc too. Blocking off seats on buses and trains isn’t happening neither.

@Mr Kipling

there are numerous private facilities ready to take your money to satisfy your curiosity or imagination.

Agree with you, it is easy to get tested in a private clinics, however do you think ¥30,000/¥40,000 (300$/400$ USD) per PCR is the way to slow down the current outbreak?

Most people will save that money and instead recover at home a couple of days until being “almost ok” and then back to work, malls and crowded trains, spreading it.

Health care line must admit anyone with symptoms to get tested, even if those symptoms “only” started 1 or 2 days ago.

Making it difficult to access normal testing, is the way to allow the spreading to keep going out of control.

We need vaccine ASAP! 

Where is it?

Hate to burst your bubble but a vaccine is only the beginning and that is a long way down the road. The Government knew this was coming and now that is spreading like a forest fire, they are just waking up. The challenge is waking up is not a plan. My advice is turn on the world news and understand that what happens in the world will be in Japan exactly 2 weeks from the date you researched.

"Please emphasize life over fun,"

A pity you didn't take that advice earlier this year when you were still trying to prioritize the Olympics over the lives of ordinary people, and also leaving to rot with the virus on that petri-dish ship. Please, spare us your empty words.

Gumbo:

Look again. Everyone is wearing masks. If you want to see what poor leadership look at the west and read some of the stats

Wearing masks is not the be all and end all. Masks are not full-proof. Why else do you think doctors and nurses can still contract the virus? We need to do both. Frankly, many westerners aren't doing either. And the Japanese need to realize wearing masks doesn't mean it's a good idea to be in the middle of a crowd. But if they want to play with their own and their families' lives, then that's up to them.

*Vaccines ''the first 30 million to be shipped by March 2021''.*

Welp...write 2021 off folks. That year will be wasted too.

Experts said vaccine makers would need to run at least Phase I and II trials in Japan before seeking approval for use.

This is for Japanese vaccine makers.

From Nikkei Asia website article dated November 28:

Japan looks to begin distribution of COVID-19 vaccines by the March end of the fiscal year as clinical trials on a number of candidates move forward.

@George Townes

Experts said vaccine makers would need to run at least Phase I and II trials in Japan before seeking approval for use.

This is for Japanese vaccine makers.

No. That is wrong.

There will be smaller trials run on Pfizer, Moderna, etc. in Japan with the hopes of obtaining approval.

 medical experts warned that unless the outbreak is checked the city could soon see over 1,000 new patients a day

Just because the medical experts have the ability to predict the inevitable does not mean there is going to be any action taken by the government. They seem quite content just to sit around and count new cases and report them to the media.

@marcelito : Well, we don't need to compare to NZ and Australia. They did the right thing early and just closed up. Our only comparisons can be those in similar social situations now. Whether or not is was the right thing economically is of course a different matter.

mask and faceshield is not enough. in my country we already made a full clear helmet like what we see in the movie toy story. the number of new infected is slowly going low these past months.. i hope some company in Japan make too.

@Luddite

Look at the photo. No one is taking the virus seriously, complacency and poor leadership to blame. Yesterday and today I went shopping but the crowds were horrendous, I just left, it’s not worth the risk.

Yup, exactly. We bought our dry goods online, but had to go and get some fresh ingredients from the supermarket today. Even though we went in the daytime, before the rush hour, it was already pure hell - no limits for customers nowhere, so every place, every shop, super crowded. Only a fraction of customers use the hand sanitizers by the door anymore. Way too many people aree a) without a mask b) their mask on their chin c) obviously sick, coughing all over the place. One dude without a mask, coughing, was also trying to jump the queue, and poking me with his basket.

Why there are no limits on customers in place?

Why there are no routes in the shops in place?

Why there are no campaigns on the streets to remind people to wear their masks and wear them properly? Why there are no campaings on the streets and in the supermarkets to remind people of the proper 2m distance, and the reasons why we should do so?

Shut up and do something Koike!

NO NO NO,

we The public have been telling her and Suga -Abe 6 months ago it was coming.

SHE had too and has too act but nothing is done.

no need to tell us, we knew.

Stop looking at a picture in Tokyo and saying this is Japan. There are plenty of people, shops and restaurants that observe social distancing in non-Tokyo Japan. I swear people that live in Tokyo and the media are hypnotized in believing there is no World outside of Tokyo.

As a generalist, I think the explosion has already been occurring, and I'd like to know the reason why the government are so hesitant to declare. Something inconvenient hinders smooth judgement?

It is winter now, people get sick.

NOMINATION

Stop looking at a picture in Tokyo and saying this is Japan. There are plenty of people, shops and restaurants that observe social distancing in non-Tokyo Japan. I swear people that live in Tokyo and the media are hypnotized in believing there is no World outside of Tokyo.

Great if it is so, but it doesn't really help us who live IN Tokyo. Tokyo, where 14+ million people live.

Better to go overseas to a more progressive country and get the vaccine then come back.

No one here will be vaccinated before September, at least. Japan is way too slow, there are still people waiting for their 100000 yen handouts

Yesterday and today I went shopping but the crowds were horrendous

I bet they all made the same complaint.

"Please emphasize life over fun,"

Does the Olympics count as "life", or "fun"? Because I don't think you're emphasizing life and safety in that case, and if there are going to be exceptions...

"Suga added... please stay home this holiday and avoid going out, especially in groups. Now excuse me, I have a party to attend... we're having steak. I have to go!"

@NOMINATION

Sorry to say, Tokyo is Japan.

"Any one of us could become infected at any time..."

What a ridiculous comment from Koike.

Those people who understand the gravity of the situation and are doing their utmost to keep socially distant, refrain from using public transport, stay home as much as possible, go shopping during off peak times etc. will significantly reduce their own risk of catching the virus.

If only the politicians could also understand the gravity of the situation and respond with appropriate actions, then we wouldn't have the Governor of Tokyo saying "Any one of us could become infected at any time".

They've had almost 1 year to put systems and rules in place to absolutely minimize the threat this virus poses. It seems they've actually done very little, and just hoped that things wouldn't start getting worse. Now they are, they are scurrying to act - it's way too late.

They will understand seriousness after they die.

I feel sorry only for a police man or guard man in the photo.

Stop looking at a picture in Tokyo and saying this is Japan.

Well, Japan Today has written an article using a picture of Tokyo. That is what people will equate.

Warns? How about doing your job and preventing it?

And of course we KNOW that with this warning the government is taking steps to avoid it from happening, such as: forcing places like restaurants to close and fining people for gathering, with arrests and permanent closures of establishments (pachinko, bars, what have you) that continue to disobey orders; we know they've decided the Olympics will NOT be held, and the extra trillions they were going to spend on it will be refocused into helping hospitals and clinics, as well as providing assistance to businesses.

Oh wait, nope... they're just trying to pray it away and demanding you do it all yourself, as usual. It's like if the driver of a car turned towards a cliff and said, "Oh no! everyone... we're headed for a cliff... nothing we can do about it but maybe talk as the car moves along. Can't be helped. Maybe the cliff will disappear, or the car will stop or turn by itself... but ummm...

We need the vaccine asap....but make sure they are not put sleeping medicine mixed in as was done here last month.

This is what the 5, 6th time since February she has said the same thing.

Starts wearing thin after a while.

It is the duty and moral duty of the government to close all borders completely.

Absolutely shocking to see the crowd in the photo... Japanese are just insane.

Lucky to be in NZ, one of the covid-19 free countries...

the first 30 million to be shipped by March 2021 - and 250 million from Novavax.

Experts said vaccine makers would need to run at least Phase I and II trials in Japan before seeking approval for use.

So much slower than other developed countries... even some developing and underdeveloped countries will start vaccination faster than Japan! Why these old bureaucrats don’t realize that the only way to control this outbreak is through wide vaccination or complete lockdown like New Zealand and Victoria did ( I don’t support lockdowns though ). Their decision making is alway pathetic. Just say crap without proper strategies or action!

Futhermore, just look at the photo ( The picture speaks for itself ) !

Koike san, Suga san, allow everyone to get tested if they wish to. Make it an easy and quick process.

It will lead to the medical system being strained. Mitigating the spread of the virus isn't the goal but rather preventing the straining of medical institutions. Testing is a resource and resources are limited and cannot be wasted.

Look at the photo. No one is taking the virus seriously, complacency and poor leadership to blame. Yesterday and today I went shopping but the crowds were horrendous, I just left, it’s not worth the risk.

Ordinary citizens have long since woken up and realized a 99.9+% survival rate is nothing to get hysterical about.

The adults in the room are winning, and its driving the hypochondriacs insane.

Look again. Everyone is wearing masks.

It is not wear a mask and all is good. You also should be social distancing..they are not.

AG...

No I don’t expect people to pay 30,000 for a test because they don’t need one.

If you have symptoms or contact with a virus carrier the test is FREE! I know this always get lots of - votes from people who don’t want to hear the truth. But facts are what they are.

If people want to waste their money on unnecessary testing to feed their fantasies..good luck to them.

medical experts warned that unless the outbreak is checked the city could soon see over 1,000 new patients a day.

Nope, the patients are those who require medical attention, high majority of these 1,000 only need to self isolate i.e. stay at home for 10-14 days, as they will autorecover.

Ordinary citizens have long since woken up and realized a 99.9+% survival rate is nothing to get hysterical about.

That’s why they are only ordinary citizens. They would never have the idea, that they will have one day their 50th birthday and then belong to the higher risk groups. It’s not so bad to get hysterical about the outlook to die much earlier than the life expectancy promised before corona came up onto everyone’s agenda. Now you could say, but there’s all those nice vaccines and even a herd immunity on the horizon and lighting at the end of the tunnel... Come on, leave me alone with that fake hopes, are you kidding? lol

Limited testing in Japan does not show the true numbers of Covid infected. Hospitalization will become a problem as the numbers increase. When overwhelmed, the decision will be made by a Japanese person as to which sick live, or not , and Japan always will prioritize Japanese over foreigners when the the crunch comes to crunch. It is not a good time to be in Japan as a sick foreigner. ‘Japan is, and will always be for the Japanese and that includes its companies and institutions ‘ - quoted by a Japanese national known to myself.

For those in or near Yokohama

BOTH PCR and antibody tests are available at Bluff Medical and Dental Clinic in Yamate.

English, Japanese and Tagalog spoken

I don’t know PCR test price.

Antibody test was ¥6,000- well worth the money for the piece of mind.

You must call to arrange for testing BEFORE going to the clinic

They have a tent sat up outside to keep potential cases separated from usual clinic patients.

Probably on vacation now though

Nope, the patients are those who require medical attention, high majority of these 1,000 only need to self isolate i.e. stay at home for 10-14 days, as they will autorecover.

Who to believe, medical experts, or internet hack who provides nothing to support his assertion that the medical experts are wrong.

Hmm, which one is credible... medical experts, internet hack, hmmm.

Interestingly enough, how each person answers that question will be a huge indicator as to their intelligence (or lack thereof as it were).

Ordinary citizens have long since woken up and realized a 99.9+% survival rate is nothing to get hysterical about.

Yeah, they've realized it's not dying that is the big worry, it's living with the lung scarring from the disease.

"Please emphasize life over fun," Gov Yuriko Koike told a news conference, calling on people to stay at home as much as possible over the holiday.

Does Koike also include ‘steak dinners’ I wonder?

Japan has deals to buy 120 million doses from Pfizer/BioNTech in the first half of 2021

"buy" as in sign a contract and pay by July 1st ?

and 120 million from AstraZeneca - the first 30 million to be shipped by March 2021

What is shipped ? Is that like a stamp from a shipping company saying 2021-03-31 ?

Is there a way for the public to know what exactly is written in these deals ?

I think the language used to report here is a bit strange and doesn't match the significance, also it would be good to have some idea of what we can expect and when ?

Japan won’t be vaccinating until April 2021,

well behind other countries in the developed world.

as we can see, there are various precautions being made and adhered to by the tokyo government. mina-san, ganbarimasu! Now most people will not be travelling during the holidays, we will surely stamp out this virus.

It is winter now, people get sick.

Covid!Covid!Covid! Covid!Covid!Covid!Covid!

And in the spring it will go away like a miracle. Nobody will talk about Covid any more and they'll all live happily ever after!

Or should we be afraid? Very afraid? (I'm afraid Suga, Koike et al. know not what they do not)

Seeing the terrible actions of many governments in other countries, I am sort of happy with the inaction of the Japanese one.

"Life over fun"...she left out "so you can all go back to your slave driving Japanese bosses on January 4th".

The big business community are driving this government even more so since Suga took over the reins.

I hear, and see, big business telling employees to stay home now so from January we can come back to work full time, no WFH. Employees can not be trusted, the underlying message. Can not measure productively. Can not micro-manage.

This government does not care about the people. Only the business mates and money.

Expect nothing but more illness and deaths, all to ensure profits and the rich maintain their status quo.

Who to believe, medical experts, or internet hack who provides nothing to support his assertion that the medical experts are wrong.

Hmm, which one is credible... medical experts, internet hack, hmmm

What was pointed to was that these fear mongering styled articles which push a certain narrative are not the opinion of medical experts, but it is obvious that many so many fall for such fear mongering. As for medical experts, start with the corona odometer site and follow thru with the respective medical fraternity of each country... there is a difference between those who need medical attention (5-10%) and those who need to self isolate (90-95%) at home or in a quarantine facility.

Tokyo governor warns of explosion in COVID-19 cases

Of course there will be an "explotion of cases", as the virus changes. New mutations are always more infectious and less lethal, as those strains are more successful. This is how virus epidemics always go.

This virus is now endemic, and these futile efforts to some how make it disappear, rather then improving treatment, should stop.

...and 1300 cases today. When will they call another state of emergency?

Nope - big business will put a stop to that.

If life is not fun, then what is life?

Wats Up Wobot? your post is accurate. Thanks for the links, but most will not check them out.

Have fun Sandy as much as you can.......but don’t catch Crono, or your fun maybe cut short!

Wobot.....if only the true figures were available to you. 陰ぺい is a a word you should know as the the Japanese officials are masters of this trait. The Covied Tsunami will hit Japan shortly. My best advise to you is.... Run Wobot......Run now!!

Dangerousjisan

Wobot.....if only the true figures were available to you. 陰ぺい is a a word you should know as the the Japanese officials are masters of this trait. The Covied Tsunami will hit Japan shortly.

Can you give us a timeline for your great prediction? I want to remind you when it fails to materialize.

Wobot

The Tokyo government's website has a far more detailed picture of the current situation: https://stopcovid19.metro.tokyo.lg.jp/en/

Population: 13,963,751

Positive cases: 58,840 (0.42% of the total population)

Deaths: 622 (0.0044% of the total population)

The "positive cases" figure is meaningless. Since there is no large-scale testing and most people who catch the virus have no symptoms, the "positive cases" figure must be much higher.

The "deaths" however are a clear picture and show how ludicriously overblown this Corona hysteria is.

622 deaths (almost all of them with co-morbidities) in city of 20 million.

To quote Joe Biden: Come on, man.

I'm a bit surprized that the largest city on Earth has had it THIS 'good' for so long. So many cities, towns and states in the USA have higher numbers of cases on a dailt basis. Tokyo must have been doing something right - but don't brush this off, folks. Take it seriously. Don't wind up like America has in 2020.