Tokyo to boost capacity of COVID-19 testing to over 60,000 per day

What kind of international joke is that ? 60,000, is that a boost ? Speechless.

As part of efforts to strengthen follow-up measures on those who test positive for the coronavirus, the metropolitan government plans to recruit about 100 nurses who will make arrangements for epidemiological surveys and examinations of people who have been in close contact with COVID-19 patients.

How is it possible to track the possibly infected in the Tokyo or Osaka rush hour?

The capacity of coronavirus testing in Tokyo has been increased to about 25,000 per day from about 10,000 as of Oct 1.

Hae? Did I miss something?

about 13,000 suspected COVID-19 patients per day.

And then, reality set in!

Testing a few thousand people every day in a city of 15 million people is in no way a correct assessment of new case numbers. By comparison, Melbourne is a city of 4 million people and are carrying out 20,000 tests per day. They were getting results in the teens and twenties per day, which was enough to lock down the whole state. I’m curious to see how Tokyo reacts if the positive results do reach the tens of thousands every day as this article suggests.

Well, it's been said in the education system here there is too much emphasis on tests. Where do you draw the line?

Too bad then that Tokyo only ever tests about 5,000 people per day.

Perhaps they should do a test to see whether they can actually do all these tests!

I call BS. They've been saying that now for weeks. I'll say again what I said weeks ago when it was announced. I'll believe it WHEN I SEE IT.

The increased capacity was calculated based on past data, with the metropolitan government estimating that there will be around 52,000 suspected flu patients with fever and about 13,000 suspected COVID-19 patients per day.

Which was exactly what many of us here were saying for months now. That the numbers are FAR LOWER than being recorded with both right wing lackeys and foreign apologists calling us alarmists and Japan bashers. Now the japanese government itself is saying that is the case.

Whats the good of having a " capacity " when you are not actually utilizing it? It's just a PR soundbite in the last ditch desperate effort to keep the next summer Olympic dream going. We have been hearing about Tokyo and Japan tripling it's " capacity to test " since the first wave 6 months ago and yet Tokyo still only tests a couple of thousand per day on average, ditto the rest of the country. Empty talk.

Exactly! Well said brother!

Tokyo to boost capacity of COVID-19 testing to over 60,000 per day

After 10 months of pandemic it is safe to say that this will never happen.

Testing in Tokyo will remain somewhere between 900 - 6000 tests per day until the end of the Olympics, there is no way the government will increase testing now, with the final decision for the Olympics being made so soon - March 2021!

Even in the Japanese press, thirst articles can mislead, making a reader thinking that’s the number of daily tests done, when only reading the title and not keeping informed

Too little and 10 months too late but the real worrying part is the reopening of the borders without quarantine. Keeping whereabouts info is useless as by the time a positive case is Found the virus has already been passed on.

Perhaps they should do a test to see whether they can actually do all these tests!

But, before that, they need to have a few meetings and conferences to discuss the possibility of testing to see whether they can do these tests. Face-to-face meetings, if possible. Or maybe a Zoom meeting first, to see if they can have a face-to-face meeting.

For the Olympics to happen they're going to have to allow tourists to come here without the need for a two-week quarantine and accept the clinics' own covid-19 certificate from the tourists' own countries, if they'll need one at all. And I can just imagine, by then, permanent residents of foreign extraction will still need clinics to fill out the official Japanese covid-19 form, as well as quarantine for 2 weeks and not be allowed to use public transport from the airports on their return. The unofficial theory will be that Japanese, businessmen and tourists have a stronger immunity system whereas foreigners who reside in Japanese are far more likely to get the virus.

More tests, equals higher numbers, stop testing, open up the economy. Those who supposedly have it are not serious anyway.

More bumbling probably. It's been successful so far, hospitals are not overwhelmed and there have been very few extra deaths, and fingers crossed it continues. I'm much more comfortable saying "numbers are low" than "the disease is under control".

Its always about Tokyo the holy grail of tokyo the epic center of Japan and as if Tokyo is just another word for Japan. Why Tokyo only? What about other prefectures. 60,000 test in Tokyo what about other prefectures like Chiba, Kanagawa and the rest. They should be doing the same NOT just TOKYO.

Key word here is "capacity". They've been testing well below capacity from the start. Every now and then the increase capacity to make it sound like their doing something. Testing remains well below capacity.

Will they be dropping or easing the ridiculously stringent guidelines for eligibility?

who can believe at those fake propaganda numbers anymore?

Back in Europe the tests are easy to access and they are done in huge numbers per day unlike here.

Plus the majority of the positive tested back in the old continent are asymptomatic.

I wonder how many people in Japan are walking around us ready to spread the virus not showing any symptoms.

At least back in the west they keep transparency.

Only symptomatic people are tested so the increased capacity may never be reached. To many foreigners, this seems to be unacceptable method. But we can't ignore the fact that the number of dead and seriously ill is outrageously low for the size of the population.

I give Japan the benefit of the doubt in their approach since society and the economy are running quite smoothly, all things considered.

More tests, equals higher numbers, stop testing, open up the economy. 

wow dont know if youre being sarcastic. more tests reveals how many people are actually infected, and how fast its spreading testing more doesn't increase the risk of those being infected, that risk is already there. why is it so hard for people to understand.

A little thought for old costly retirees.

Best regards

Japanese governement.

Please give me the contract to carry out the tests!!!

the airport tests are ¥40000 a pop.

More tests will lead to more 'cases' which the media will pounce on, thus creating more hysteria. This will increase calls for more tests and...

Haven't you all worked out what's really going on yet?