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© Thomson Reuters 2021.As state of emergency looms over virus, some experts say one month won't be long enough
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Aly Rustom
The wife just now sent me a line message. Over 2000 cases in Tokyo Today
Aly Rustom
Absolutely!
kohakuebisu
The last month has seen daily numbers in Tokyo go from 400 a day to 1500 being found off a pitiful number of tests. The latest evidence is two doublings (i.e., quadrupling) in 30 days. In those thirty days, the new and more contagious variant of Covid-19 has been found in Japan and, although less than a normal year, people have still been congregating at family homes, shrines, and no doubt parties in bars over New Year. There is no reason to assume, with (surely!) more testing to come and the more contagious variant out there, that 3500 and 7000 are a worst case that "could" happen. The current trajectory is pointing to something much worse than that already.
didou
Concretely, this SoE might/will only affect people having a life after 8pm, and some organizers to cancel a few events.
Pukey2
I wonder how this would pan out if the virus suddenly mutated to a version which would affect mainly young people.
Monty
@kurisupiso
Meanwhile millions of Japanese are presently cheek to cheek on buses and trains with millimeters between them
Not only Japanese, Me too!
@Bernard Marx
Doesn't affect me. I still have to come into work everyday
Same here. If the SOE is 1 day or 1 year. It makes zero difference for my personally life.
Except if the schools will be closed. Than my wife will lose her income and probably her job.
That would be a very serious situation for us.
Aly Rustom
Very true. But anyone who thinks the LDP is a responsible gov needs a straight jacket
Since NEVER brother!
business as usual here
Michael Aurelius
Only in Japan, the Economic Minister Yasutoshi Nomura is responsible for a Medical Emergency!!!! How telling!!! This is a pandemic that is resulting in a recession not vice versa.
Alan Harrison
The government is anxious about the economic impact as it prepares to host the Olympics this summer.
Any responsible government would be putting the Olympics secondary right now.
Do the hustle
The olympics are just around the corner. If they are gonna do something they had better do it soon and do it well or there will be no olympics.
sual
From what I have read and heard on the news so far, these planned state of emergency restrictions are going to mean absolutely no change to my current daily life. I guess the experts feel that all the people getting Covid 19 have a much more exciting nightlife than me.
spinningplates
Agree with comments above.
The problem here is the economists running the show and exacerbating the effects of the Pandemic.
The Japanese public seem willing to take steps but the Government appears to be held hostage by short term gain chasing fools (Olympic) gold.
We all know what needs to be done.
Bernard Marx
Doesn't affect me. I still have to come into work everyday regardless. I would happily stay home, but I don't get paid if I do so, so no choice. The mortgage won't pay itself.
Aly Rustom
Suga is an IDIOT. Not flattening the curve is what is going to damage the economy long term. He doesn't understand the concept of short term pain for long term gain. He's not willing to listen to the advice of the experts and just do it his own way. Where have we seen that before and what was the outcome?
Stricter and longer do not go hand in hand. I'd say they are inversely proportional. If the gov implements a strict SOE with students studying from home, and people working from home (as much as possible) as well as financial assistance to businesses made to close as a result of the SOE they could seriously flatten the curve. A lukewarm SOE response will take MUCH LONGER and will basically be ineffective and this will go on.
AMEN!!
kurisupisu
Meanwhile millions of Japanese are presently cheek to cheek on buses and trains with millimeters between them....
obladi
I think the economists should be thinking of taking precautions as the new normal and consider ways to grow the enconomy under such conditions.
Fiddlers
Don't just pick on the bars and restaurants for the lockdown and also get the vaccine out asap then a month might be long enough.
rainyday
I’m so sick of hearing this. Cancel the bloody game already if that is the reason the government is doing next to nothing to control this. Its outrageous we are going through this stupid BS again this year.
virusrex
It would be good to link to those second and third kind of experts, the ones on the first group are listed in the article and at least they seem to have data to support their expertise in the field. Maybe the ones that are of a different opinion are experts in unrelated fields?
bo
Get the vaccines done now it's the only way to stop the deaths.
The longer Japan waits the more serious it will become.
Lockdowns etc are just a bandaid
Toshihiro
keep it for as long as needed. You can't impose a fixed number on things like these, the people should work around this problem and not the other way around. The longer Yoshi-kun delays the action, the more cases will spread.
Numan
It will be extended because one month will not be enough to lower the rates.