Tokyo reports 258 new cases of coronavirus; nationwide total 1,014

The single-day figure compares with 339 reported Thursday.

Tiring indeed.

How about comparing the number of test as well so that we can judge whether the reduction is real or due to reduced mumber of test.

It remains a total mistery why the number of test continues to be downplayed when all indication is that the yo-yo daily number of infections are a reflection of the number of PCR test.

Reports on other news sources say that the peak has been reached and infections are trending down. Because people are taking precautionary measures.

You are currently seeing the effects of things that are happening two weeks ago. I wouldn't say things are trending down until 2-3 weeks after the end of obon, and all the risky behavior that occurred then.

33 people in hospital. Just goes to show how benign COVID has become.

Reckless

We are basically over this thing. I am gonna burn all my masks in a bonfire tonight. Can't wait to take advantage of the lifting of the reentry ban! Party time! Is Monty with me?

Well you can live by your name "Reckless" but doubt Monty will be joining you.

Lol

Elvis

Just reporting what is being said elsewhere at the moment, from the "experts", no less.

I take the opinion of experts and the J-media with a grain of salt.

Most are too scared to talk.

33 people in hospital. Just goes to show how benign COVID has become.

To be fair, that is number of serious patients, defined has requiring ECMO or ventilators. These patients are generally those who have been admitted and conditions worsen over an average 10 day period:

stopcovid19.metro.tokyo.lg.jp

I would imagine when this number declines, it is at least partly due to deaths rather than recovery.

That said, as you have pointed out, active cases continue to declining, and the r0 is now below 1, which are promising signs. I agree with Elvis that this is likely due to a large majority taking personal prevention measures following the surge. I hope that this continues long enough to suppress the virus sufficiently so it can be managed effectively. If fatigue or complacency comes too quickly, there will likely be another surge, with a higher baseline, and this game of up and down will go on indefinitely.

33 needed hospitalization, but no breakdown on how many of these are elderly or people with existing health problems.

Just throwing out numbers as far as I can tell.

I can't understand people who don't wear masks.

I see foreigners on the subway and supermarket not wearing masks as well.

Retirees of every gender not wearing masks in public.

And don't get me started on the half-measured just cover the mouth masks.

All these people wear shoes and pants. So no excuse not to wear a mask. None.

Are people lazy, selfish, or dumb?

That said, as you have pointed out, active cases continue to declining, and the r0 is now below 1, which are promising signs. I agree with Elvis that this is likely due to a large majority taking personal prevention measures following the surge.

I would classify something as declining when carrying the same or higher number of test

gives lower numbers. As we have seen, that is not what is happening here, the fluctuation in

the test results is all due to fluctuations in the number of test. Not testing enough means infected

cases go unnoticed and don't feature in any statistic or the r0 that your talking about.

I hope that this continues long enough to suppress the virus sufficiently so it can be managed effectively.

How is it possible with full economic activity going on, the izakayas, cabaret and host clubs, club activities,

spectator sports with spectators, pachinko parlors etc taking place spiced up with youths who think the virus

doesn't affect them even if they are infected ? Your statement makes it look like the virus is very easy to mitigate this virus.

Of the 258 new cases, how many of these people were religiously wearing masks ?

Don't know about lazy or selfish but I know one person we can put in the dumb column.

@Reckless

To be honest, I continue with my best personal prevention and that includes wearing a mask.

At my work it is mandatory to wear mask, and in private I wear mask in trains, shopping malls, and in crowded places.

I use santizers wherever there are and wash my hands regular.

I also keep social distance where it is possible.

I keep distance to people at traffic lights, I always stay behind the crowd, and I keep distance on escalators.

I am living with this Virus and my personal preventions since 9 months and I am still healthy.

Of course I dont know if I was asymptomatic or not, but I was not sick.

So even the numbers are very low, I will continue with my personal prevention.

@Reckless, I hope my answer did not dissapoint you.

Of the 258 new cases, how many of these people were religiously wearing masks ?

If wearing mask was 100 percent effective in preventing infection then the overall number of

infected cases won't even hit 5,000 cases.

What most people forget is that you can easily get infected through contact touch in which case

mask won't help you , that is why you have to wash hand, sanitize frequently and refrain as much

as possible from touching your face. Going out exposes one to hundreds of means of infection.

Seems not just the reentry ban is being lifted , moods being uplifted as well.

Number of cases going down always good but I myself don't look at a day count in isolation, always looking at a graph

Not testing enough means infected cases go unnoticed and don't feature in any statistic or the r0 that your talking about.

Actually, I agree that Japan's testing policy and overall strategy (or lack thereof) is inadequate and that there are likely far more cases in fact. This is evidenced by the fact that the majority of cases still originate from unknown contacts. I also believe that the current definition of close contact is insufficient for adequate contact tracing.

However, while I believe that there have been a small number of misclassified deaths and symptomatic individuals who have been unable to procure testing, I do not think there is a widespread conspiracy to prevent testing generally. Symptomatic individuals generally can be tested by contacting their local health center and reporting to a hospital. I have done so twice since June, both times with a negative result. As such, while there are likely many unidentified asymptomatic cases, I believe the apparent decline is indicative a true decline presuming the rate of symptomatic cases is relatively stable.

Your statement makes it look like the virus is very easy to mitigate this virus.

Again, my preference would be for the Diet to reconvene and pass into law lockdown measures for roughly 2 months to bring the level down to a manageable level. I believe that would be the most efficient and effective course both economically and in public health terms.

However, I have long since accepted the unwillingness to do so by the Japanese government, specifically the LDP. What I have observed, both anecdotally in conversations with people, primarily native japanese, and through reporting indicating widespread, majority support for greater measures such as an SoE, is that in lieu of government action, most people are in fact electing not to participate in risky behaviors. Of the 100 or so people I have spoken to in the last week, none travelled or visited family during the Obon period. Plans were cancelled. None of them have participated in enkai or other social gatherings since mid July when cases began to rise. Overall, i think generally the public is reacting to the reporting on numbers and this response is suppressing the virus.

As I note in my previous comment, I have concerns that this response will be insufficient. Honestly, I don't think the unstructured, individual actions of the populace will bring the number down to less than 100 cases, as it was in June. I also believe that people will fatigue faster, and resume 'normal activity' more readily in the face of reporting of decline. When this happens, cases will surge again, and to higher numbers, which will lead to more deaths, and more economic decline when people get scared again. I was saying I hope it doesn't happen; I sincerely hope somehow this strategy works. Because I have given up on the powers that be taking appropriate action.

If you are afraid of this bug, wear a mask, socially distance and keep your old folks and infirmed isolated. Let the rest of us get on with our lives.

To those who want more info regarding the data provided in the article the link for the source site is right below/after the article

Again incomplete info skews reality. Anyone can look up thee numbers for themselves. More people die from tb than corona. This is so ridiculous now and I predict the media in Japan will stop reporting on this. It just isn't selling and people are sick of the mask propaganda and fake fear.

"I can't understand people who don't wear masks."

Because the style/situation of usage is illogical at best?

https://www.zerohedge.com/medical/swedens-lead-epidemiologist-wearing-face-masks-very-dangerous

More people die from tb than corona.

Leaving aside the vast differences between TB and covid-19 (for example, one is bacteria borne, the other is viral), and the fact that SARS-CoV-2 is a new virus which has only been circulating for roughly 8 months, it is also worth pointing out that more people die from TB than any other infectious disease, as it is the leading cause of death from a single infectious agent:

https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/tuberculosis

In fact, given that in the time since the first person was infected in China roughly 9 months ago, SARS-CoV-2 has already killed roughly half of the annual total for TB for the entire 2019, and given the escalating global death rate, it is entirely possible Covid-19 will take that crown this year.

It's like that hanger-on you meet when drinking sometimes: Won't leave no matter what. Not the time to let your guard down, folks. Not yet.

It has requested that establishments serving alcohol and karaoke venues close by 10 p.m. until the end of August to reduce the risk of infection.

Yeah lets blame this sector for the spread and obviously this tatic has not work since its been repetitively announce for over a month.....