Travelers returning from New Year holidays crowd roads, airports

Now, watch the Omicron case numbers soar.

Bronco

Very nice to see people enjoying their lives.

There are about 30,000,000 completely non-vaccinated people in Japan and they could enjoy a pleasant vacation with their family and friends.

Not only did the so-called "Winter of Death for the Unvaccinated" fail to materialize but Japan has shown the world that society doesn't need to be divided and pitted against each other.

Well done Japan.

The concequences of this travel on mass remain to be seen. Wait a week before spouting this guff.

Lindsay 07:02 am JST

Now, watch the Omicron case numbers soar

According to the Japan Times, “Studies in Britain and South Africa have shown that omicron patients are 50% to 80% less likely to end up in the hospital.”

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2021/12/31/national/covid-endgame-omicron/

Not only did the so-called "Winter of Death for the Unvaccinated" fail to materialize

Absolutely no-one, anywhere, is calling the Omicron spread the "Winter of death".

Get a grip.

A 20-year-old college student returning to Nagoya after seeing his family in Kyoto said he became worried about the Omicron strain of the coronavirus after seeing media reports on the recent gradual increase in daily cases in the country.

Fear and panic from the Japanese media based on the high number of deaths and hospitalisations?

If the student wants a test kit then. I have one for him/her…

Ok, here is what I cannot figure out. We have now had Omicron for a while. But still when they talk about Omicron and its effects, we are always told it is too early to tell, they don't have enough data. They have been working on these Sars type viruses for a long time, why the delay to let us know about Omicron. I feel they are doing a disservice to people by not telling us everything they know. It is widely reported that the effects of Omicron are far less severe than Delta, but then always the caveat, but it is too early to tell the real effects. When will they know!

"I'm going to take another virus test now. I don't want to spread coronavirus to other people," he said...

...as he hops off a plane/Shinkansen and wheels his carry-on through crowded public spaces to then get on public transport that's equally packed. Mmm...very logical indeed. How considerate of him to think of others AFTER he's done a spot of traveling himself.

Damage is done. Let's all just sit back, kick up our feet and watch the numbers soar in the coming weeks.

Now, watch the Omicron case numbers soar.

Not gonna happen. Nobody in Japan wastes their time to get tested when they have no/mild symptoms, which is all Omicron is in the majority of cases.

If 20 yr old college student is so worried and doesn't want to spread the virus, then why he/she is travelling around?

He may caught the virus by 5% and gets no symptom but he may spread that 5% virus to the weak people and increases over by 50%, thus spreading more people one by one.

“Japan has shown the world that society doesn't need to be divided and pitted against each other.

Well done Japan.”

Yes! thanks!

Travel bans by ANY country that only extend to non-citizens do not make sense, period. Either ban all non-essential travel for everyone, or keep it business as usual. A virus does not care about nationality. Also, Omnicron is (evidently) so contagious and spreads so quickly that the number of people coming in probably doesn't make much difference in the long run.

There are about 30,000,000 completely non-vaccinated people in Japan

You realize these are children not eligible for vaccine, right? Or you just like inventing alternative facts?

What are the stigma and consequences for being positive in Japan? Will one be ostracized like the nurses and preschool teachers were? Will one lose their jobs? Does anyone want to get tested when faced with impacts such as this? Perhaps the current testing regime is just fine with most people.

So you line up for hours in a line with people who think they have COVID too in order to get tested.

this is safe but going to have a beer or traveling to see relatives or to have some fun after 2 years is a problem?!

this nonsense has taken 10% of the total life of 20 year old.

If you are vaccinated, trust that it works as you claim. If you aren’t vaccinated and get the rona, get some therapeutics and rest for a couple days.

I am not against travel but there is a high chance of increase in covid cases.

The Omicron cases are just going to increase as long as people are tested. Watch the media fear monger with outrageous headlines

Absolutely no-one, anywhere, is calling the Omicron spread the "Winter of death". 

Get a grip.

A bunch of so called « experts » who are in reality fear mongering idiots predicted a few weeks ago that by end of December, UK would see between 600.000 and 2 millions infections per day; between 3000 and 10.000 hospitalizations per day; and between 600 and 6000 deaths per day. 6000!

None of this happened of course so you should actually get a grip. Or better just keep quiet, you and the rest of covid hysterics.

What's sad is that we could have squashed this virus if the whole world had quickly gotten on board, and governments educated their citizens and residences.

Instead, doctors and scientists were suppressed, even arrested.

Other countries, no better, as politicians quickly latched on to brainless takes to manipulate their voter blocks, using the pandemic as political tool. This has cost nearly a million Americans their lives.

Both USA and China have seeded this worldwide.

And it's shown a real ugly side to many people. They see the risk covid as very low, and are willing to sacrifice anyone with a pre-exisiting condition instead of sacrificing their personal desires.

I'm not talking about the people who had to go to work. I'm talking about the parties I always see on social media posts, or the mass travel.

And the worst of the worst is the people who refuse to get vaccinated. The one thing you could do to protect those around you, especially the immunocompromised like cancer patients who are on immunosuppressant therapies. But you can't even take a jab and 2 days of sore aches for them.

@daito_hak

A bunch of so called « experts » who are in reality fear mongering idiots predicted a few weeks ago that by end of December, UK would see between 600.000 and 2 millions infections per day; between 3000 and 10.000 hospitalizations per day; and between 600 and 6000 deaths per day. 6000!

I would love to see that supposed idiots, of course no chance this "would" was actually a "could", right?

been driving around Tokyo since 7am, traffic is 1/10 of a normal day.

Btw just look at this picture. Japanese people especially Tokyo people sooo happy, even after a long break, you can see in their eyes

treble4punkToday  12:03 pm JST

And the worst of the worst is the people who refuse to get vaccinated. The one thing you could do to protect those around you, especially the immunocompromised like cancer patients who are on immunosuppressant therapies. But you can't even take a jab and 2 days of sore aches for them.

I wonder if those that died from the vaccination (and wouldn’t of from COVID) would agree with your hate filled rhetoric…???

“What are the stigma and consequences for being positive in Japan? Will one be ostracized like the nurses and preschool teachers were? Will one lose their jobs?”

No. you would get rest to recovery and be hospitalized if serious. Back to work when you recover.

been driving around Tokyo since 7am, traffic is 1/10 of a normal day.

Btw just look at this picture. Japanese people especially Tokyo people sooo happy, even after a long break, you can see in their eyes

i sense sarcasm here... to be fair commuting here is very hectic, i'm not sure anyone in this world who wouldn't find this miserable...

on the otherhand, if you put a japanese person at the back seat of an alphard, i'm sure they'll be full of smiles...

I did the right thing, I gave up my spot in line for a more vulnerable person.

At the beginning of vaccinations that argument flies, and is certainly a reasonable one. Higher risk people should absolutely get the vaccine first. At this point in time, in most places availability of the vaccine is not the limiting factor. You aren't helping anyone by "giving up your spot", get vaccinated.

You realize these are children not eligible for vaccine, right? Or you just like inventing alternative facts?

Are you sure they are all children, I know quite a bunch of unvaccinated adults including yours truly.

I did the right thing, I gave up my spot in line for a more vulnerable person.

Of course that only applies as long as you accept to be treated as an unvaccinated person with any of the downsides it may have. For example not being able to travel or do certain jobs.

Keep living your life and don't listen to those who say to stay home and live in fear of a virus so terrible you have to test to know you have it.

You mean don't listen to the professionals and people that deal with infections from a health care point of view? because that would be terrible advice, it betrays serious problems with reasoning and complete lack of interest on the well being of any person outside of yourself.

A bunch of so called « experts » who are in reality fear mongering idiots predicted a few weeks ago that by end of December, UK would see between 600.000 and 2 millions infections per day; between 3000 and 10.000 hospitalizations per day; and between 600 and 6000 deaths per day. 6000!

Was that was was actually said? because this would not be the first time you mischaracterize what you read and remove very pertinent parts of what is written.

The Ministry of Health has made it clear that vaccination is a decision made on the basis of personal choice.

How does that contradict the fact that according to the professionals it is the best option from a health care point of view? do you think smoking being a personal choice makes it less negative for the health of the smoker and those around?

7 prefectures (Ibaraki, Kanagawa, Hiroshima, Kagawa, Mie, Tottori, Nagano) and multiple municipalities around the country have declared ordinances against "vaccine discrimination" as they consider your type of scientific bullying, defamation, slander and ostracization to go against the values of the Japanese people.

What exactly is the supposed "bullying, defamation, slander, ostraciztion" you are talking about? The evidence clearly points out that vaccination is the least risky option against the infection, and that vaccinated people are less likely not only to be infected, symptomatic, hospitalized or dying, but also reduce the degree of spreading. To enact valid measures to reduce the spreading from people irrationally choosing the highest amount of risk is nothing of what you clearly are mischaracterizing. It is only acting according to the best available science. The same as not letting people drive when they are drinking or smoke in public spaces.

This is the internet so you're free to say what you want but if you're going to be a guest in my country, I ask that you please respect the customs of my people and leave the discrimination at home.

Making up claims about what you imagine other people are, make evident that you have no actual argument to contradict what is told.

The list of deaths from Omicron and those who are currently recovering is also worth reporting.

Since many are fond of anecdotal examples and confuse such with an indicator of larger fact: My former boss, director of our program at the university recently moved to New York City. He had received one inoculation of two of the SARSCoV-2 vaccine prior to departing Japan for NYC. He was inoculated with the second in NYC. All to the good. This holiday season he was stricken with the omicron variant - complete loss of an ability to smell and lingering effects which resembled influenza & the flu, though more intense and miserable. His wife, of course was exposed. She however, is fully vaccinated, with two booster shots and did not acquire the virus.

So. What does that mean? If you are inoculated, as has been stated by those scientists and medical professionals, you can still be infected with the virus, though the effects will be diminished. It was omicron, not delta. One can suppose it indicates omicron spreads wider and faster. Does it indicate omicron is only as bad as a cold or flu: No it does not, as he was fully vaccinated - that would be a false assumption. If you are fully vaccinated and have received booster(s) - does it protect from omicron - in this particular case: Yes.

As for the throngs celebrating the holidays. Less than wise. Instead of travelling far and wide, remaining in one's locale would have been an intelligent choice. The possibility that 'we' had entered a final phase, prior to the omicron variant has been muted by unwarranted behavior and a lack of patience. Instead, another variant. The need to remain in one's confines, that habit and routine of restricting oneself to daily needs, such as work, shopping and even visiting with a select group of friends & colleagues and being social at an established venue within one's community should be allowance enough to offset any sense of isolation & confinement.

The virus arrived in our workplace because an individual visited with folks which typically there was no interaction - which required travel and a large family gathering. It was unnecessary and could have waited until next year or when the virus has subsided, flattened and flatlined. Instead, school had to be closed for two weeks. More than an inconvenience and due to a very certain manner of being irresponsible.

*blastcaptain**: *

"7 prefectures (Ibaraki, Kanagawa, Hiroshima, Kagawa, Mie, Tottori, Nagano) and multiple municipalities around the country have declared ordinances against "vaccine discrimination" as they consider your type of scientific bullying, defamation, slander and ostracization to go against the values of the Japanese people.

This is the internet so you're free to say what you want but if you're going to be a guest in my country, I ask that you please respect the customs of my people and leave the discrimination at home."

The customs of your people - go against science and medicine? Who are your people? Do you actually 'think' Japan is a homogenous culture? Japan is a complex, many faceted jewel - not some rigid, conformist & conservative patriarchy - that's a descript of the ruling & hereditary aristocracy - of which apparently you identify. Scientific bullying - surely, you jest.

You represent the values of the Japanese people based on some muddled understanding of the policy of 7 prefectures? None within the confines of the two largest metropolitan areas?

YOUR country? That's an amazing conception. And by inference there is no discrimination in Japan?

The entirety of your statements are ludicrous.

Now, watch the Omicron case numbers soar.

Soaring omicron cases are not necessarily a bad thing.

as long as you accept to be treated as an unvaccinated person with any of the downsides it may have. For example not being able to travel or do certain jobs

once vaccinated people can no longer get or transmit Covid I can accept that.

No reason for this separate treatment to exist until that time.

jan 4. 86 out of 151 new cases in Tokyo are doubled vaxxed

There are hospitals in the USA now where unvaccinated and uninfected were fired.

but vaccinated people currently still positive for COVID are allowed to return to work after 5 days.

now we hear PCR tests still positive up to 12 weeks later. so just wait 5 days and it’s cool for vaccinated but still infected people to go back to work with no negative test even needed.

once vaccinated people can no longer get or transmit Covid I can accept that.

That is an irrational standard, is it impossible for sober drivers to cause accidents? the whole point is to reduce the risk, vaccination is one of the safest, easiest ways to do it.

Soaring omicron cases are not necessarily a bad thing.

With the rates of hospitalizations observed and previously infected and vaccinated people becoming again susceptible to the risk it is precisely a bad thing.

Drunk driving is a crime, smoking in public is a fine and not being vaccinated is a personal choice to be respected. What are you not getting here?

All three are personal choices, which have effects on the well being of others and therefore regulations to limit the effect of those choices are perfectly valid. Your choice remains free to do, be it refuse vaccinations, drink or smoke, but not being able to do certain things because that choice increase the risk to others is something valid.

Co-operation and harmony take precedence over science. 

No, they don't, imaginary situations are not an argument.

There was no control group in the clinical trials

Yes, there was. you are completely mistaken.

Name one unique risk that I as an unvaccinated person bring to “society” that a vaccinated person doesn’t?

what form of safety would society get by excluding me that doesn’t exist from vaccinated people too?

Glad we could enjoy it @Jexan 12:32pm

“I am very glad many were able to see family they haven't seen a a long time. I spoke with many coworkers who said they were planning dinners with family. I love it and encourage more of that. Keep living your life and don't listen to those who say to stay home and live in fear of a virus so terrible you have to test to know you have it.” -

Yes. There are 20-year-olds conscientious of the pandemic and concerned for others’ well-being:

- “A 20yo student returning to Nagoya after Kyoto said he worried about Omicron after seeing media reports:

"I'm going to take another virus test now. I don't want to spread coronavirus to other people".*

Every breath you take is one less Oxygen molecule for the rest of us. Every food you eat is one less bite available to us, every place you stand you take up space that others could use.

None of those things is an irrationa lrejection of a safe and effective health intervention, resulting in higher risk not only for yourself but for others, that is the huge difference.

However, notice that we don't discriminate against you and we don't bully you, we accept your presence.

The presence is not the problem, the decision to irrationally elevate the risk for others is what have consequences drinking is a decision, with the consequence that the person is no longer allowed to drive, you have not demonstrated this as an "invalid discrimination" so it still completely disproves you.

Both Pfizer and Moderna unblinded their control groups early on in the process with the intention of saving the lives of those who had received the placebo.

So what? unblinded controls groups are still control groups and the huge difference between them at the moment of unblinding is completely significative your own comment contradics what you said before.

I'm questioning the quality of data that can be ascertained from 2 months of a double-blind study.

Fine, what are your statistical and epidemiological arguments and how do you disprove the experts around the world that say it is fine to have been conducted as it is and see no problem with it.

I mean, obviously you are not just expecting people just to agree with you based on that you "don't like" it, right?

Saying that something could have a higher scientific value do not equal that the result is scientifically worthless as you mischaracterize it. It just means it was not necessary to prolong the study, that had control groups, the opposite of what you said.