Gov't to impose state of emergency soon in Tokyo, Osaka, Hyogo

This is becoming a joke.....nothing will change over Golden week. People are gonna travel everywhere as they followed the rules and did “gaman” last year. This year people will not do “gaman” as the government are not doing it themselves and they are giving no incentive to people to stay home. Such a waste of money this SOE. Either do something properly or do nothing at all Suga-san

Well schools knowingly spread Covid. We didnt do anything when people got infected besides tell them to go home. Tested nobody at all!

Now its critical? Kind of a joke if you ask me, and I am Japanese and a senior member of the city’s largest school.

Tokyo Gov Yuriko Koike is eying requesting leisure facilities among other sectors to temporarily cease operations from April 29 until May 9.

Incompetency. Political performance. It the situation is so critical, why do you stick to the Olympics.

Everything nearly as usual right now, but closing everything just when people get a few days off.

Wish Tokyo people would protest. Glad I do not leave in Tokyo. But Tokyo people will go to other prefectures.

"Considering the request by Osaka Prefecture, we would like to swiftly reach a conclusion after thoroughly assessing the situation and studying the contents of the measures,"

Ummm... that's not "swiftly", sorry. And while you wait, Tokyo goes up more than 10% daily. What do you need to assess, Suga? how many people die waiting for an ambulance now even for non-Corona related emergencies? That's the kind of thing you want to avoid, not wait and see and then count and then talk about it and then think about deciding something. What an absolute embarrassment.

TOKYO

The government plans to impose a fresh coronavirus state of emergency in Tokyo, Osaka and Hyogo prefectures soon, as a surge in severe cases chokes the areas' health care systems, according to government sources.

soon? How about a year ago, 6 months ago last week, yesterday?

I can envision myself over golden week wearing my Abe mask, enjoying my golden week (with Premium Friday), in wonderment at the muddling old men unable to make any kind of decision, that doesn’t benefit them or their friends.

For some reason I am reminded of a horse and a barn door...

It's a stable situation.

Work in the hotel industry and we haven't noticed any changes for any of these SOEs, minus some of our restaurants closing a little earlier. The number of people coming has not changed one bit.

I am all for locking things down until we can get an actual handle on it, something that should have been done a year ago, but these don't actually do much of anything.

For some reason I am reminded of a horse and a barn door...

The latest emergency declaration would come just three months before the opening of the Tokyo Olympics.

However, Suga has said a fresh declaration would not affect the hosting of the Olympics and Paralympics, reiterating that the government will continue efforts to stage a safe and secure games.

A complete an utter joke, they obviuosly hold everyone in contempt and care nothing except for their own glory.

If they expect everyone to with stand their Mockdown Joke they must postpone their limp Pick games.

Let me guess, we'll have some "urging" and "recommending" with some shortening of business hours by - cue gasp - maybe one hour?

Even with the socal distance stickers on the floor in stores and cafes, nobody really seems to care anymore; god the amount of times the person behind me stands so close they start breathing down my neck.

the state of these absolute .....

golden week. I actually want to get on with my life and enjoy pubs, restaurants and going out.

so utterly clueless, so ignorant and a level of stupidity of monolithic proportions i have not seen before.

cancel olympics and start vaccinating fcs.

I have always believed that if you want to solve a problem, be the first person to solve the problem. Don't wait on other people to do it for you.

That being said... what can we all actually do? Come here and complain about how ridiculous the Japanese government are being, I suppose. That's a start. But... may I make a suggestion? Or two? Or Three?

-Either go full lockdown or not at all. These half-measures do absolutely nothing. Especially when you target restaurants and the entertainment sectors. You know what happens at 8PM? The people in the restaurant just stand outside the restaurant, go to the conbini which stays open, buy their beers and bentos, and party in huge clusters of people right out on the street. I seen this with my own eyes in Shibuya the other night. So much for putting an end to people "gathering" and eating together lol!

-Vaccinate. Vaccinate. Vaccinate. Vaccinate.

-Cancel the Olympics. The whole spirit of world unity via playing games with each other is lost and pointless if you aren't letting foreigners come here to celebrate their athletes. Not to mention... it's kind of dangerous to be bringing in anybody at all into the country, right? Or are the Tokyo athletes, staff, international media people all totally going to be free of Covid? Or how about exposing these people to Japanese people who have Covid? Hmmm...

-Last, but not least, and certainly what I think has been sadly overlooked by the world and is truly what I believe the answer to getting on track again: Covid-19 Breathalyzers. These need to be approved and put to full usage in every major establishment. The best breathalyzer that should be ready by now for usage only takes about 30 seconds to deliver a result, or even less, I believe. Put this in every single entrance to every stadium door, hospital door, restaurant door, music club, etc.... and you test twice with two different breathalyzers... and you will pretty much effectively wipe out the chance for people to be bringing in COVID into a closed area place of gathering. That, and we can get back to enjoying our lives and not being miserable at live events and other places. Best of all, the LDP can get back to their steak dinners in Ginza!

Sorry for the long post... just my 250 yen worth of thoughts. Everybody be careful out here in the land of the rising Corona Cases.

We can’t laugh on same joke again and again this is stupid i feel sorry for Japanese people your government sucks

Wasn't it Einstein who said something about madness being when you repeat the same action again and again yet expect a different outcome each time?

So the government has (for now) stopped rewarding the spreading, now it has to actually compensate those that actually are sacrificing things to obey the recommendations.

"Soon"...such decisiveness. What a joke. What's the taskforce for, to come up with a date? We know there will be no real plan other than what they've been doing.

Once again kicking us out of Japan! Okinawa has the unfortunate position of being either 2nd or 3rd, over the past few weeks, (per 100,000) in all of Japan, and Suga refuses to call an emergency for down here.

One hospital, just recently, had 77 nurses quit, because of issues with corona, and it is putting a HUGE strain on resources here.

Scroll down the link and see for yourselves!

https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/special/coronavirus/

Bunch of clown... Do what do you want.. And continue to give me money to close.... It s good... Collapse japanese economy for decades but continue to give me a lot of money to stay home..

But I want to know the point about Corona and bar or Corona and alcohol... And why bar are a problème but a crowded starbuck or mcdo is not. Why drinking a coffee or eating sh... T as some American chain brand is not. Why going to izakaya seems to be a problem.. But eating poison as matsuya or yoshinoya that serve stuff I will not give to a rat is?

Continue like that till the end of the year I will soon have the possibility to buy an appartement with your stupidity...

Finally this overexageratated sick could have good point.

I have time for my workout for this summer.

Koike and suga are maybe the stupidiest politician I ve ever seen..

I’m so pretty sure that the numbers not only in the name towns but also in places like Nagoya,Fukuoka etc. are way way higher.

The numbers fed are to save the face and their “prestige” around the world.

And of course for their precious Olympics which no one wants.

Yawn. When does GoTo Travel start up again?

Shut it all down for 2-4 weeks in those cities. Close businesses, and pay people to stay home. And cancel the Olympics. Stop consulting and do something.

we would like to swiftly reach a conclusion after thoroughly assessing the situation and studying the contents of the measures

He said “swift” without cracking a sile.

The Japanese Government is on the ball however they don't know how to play the game.

"Gov't to impose COVID-19 state of emergency soon in Tokyo, Osaka, Hyogo"

"Considering the request by Osaka Prefecture, we would like to swiftly reach a conclusion after thoroughly assessing the situation and studying the contents of the measures," Suga said at a Diet session the same day.

What is there to assess? Let me assess the assessors from my smart phone! There is a huge spike in COVID19 cases in the listed prefectures. Impliment a SOE. Online learning, no intertravel between prefectures, close restraints/bar. Give the people in the SOE cities stimulus payments, and give the bars/restraunts cash weekly.

Therr ya go! Problem solved.

OOOOOOsaka didn't GET IT!! Now the entire city has to lock down because a few individuals thought they couldn't get it and simply didn't want to wear a mask. I posted months ago there were many people in Osaka walking about careless without mask, and now the spread is out of control. This will be the third emergency declaration of the pandemic. Hey Osaka and those who don't want to wear a mask. WEARING IS CARING!!! IF you don't want a shot, or wear a mask stay home!!!

Just goes to show that the LDP are as much use a chocolate tea pot!

I will participate in this effort, if and only if, the Olympics are also cancelled.

Otherwise it means nothing to close bars and restaurants (only on weekends?) and to not allow them to offer any alcohol (?)

Would it be fair to say that the numbers are mainly from community transmission or are cases still being imported into the country?

I seem to be constantly reading about ‘fresh waves’ and ‘state of emergencies’ up there.

Maybe they should try a lockdown and beef up contact tracing?

I’d really like to see Japan improve the situation up there soon...

blackflagToday  08:08 pm JST

To everyone living in Japan complaining about not being able to go out dining / drinking after 8 pm: Over here in Europe, restaurants and bars have been closed for nearly 7 months now. The last time I ate outside of my home was in October 2020. So please stop your crying and enjoy you bowl of Ramen before 8pm.

With such logic then we can do everything until 8pm simply because the virus is asleep until that hour.

I rather prefer a hard lock down and massive vaccination rather than some cheap masks,a few Goto eat and travel and this spiral of closing early then open again ‘till late and so on.

Hard heads make soft arses!!! If Japans Government wants to get rid of Covid first they have to get out of the mind set of holding on to the thought of holding the Olympics. Second go into a hard lock down for two to four weeks to get the numbers down and get this beast under control. That means everything comes to a stand still work, going to travel or going to a bar. Stop the nonsense of these half-measures closing bars at 8pm. People will booze up and go out to eat at restaurants early. Once you close everything down ONLY ALLOW THOSE WITH EMERGENCY SERVICE AND CRITICAL SKILLS TO BE OUT AND ABOUT FOR emergency services only. Again close all establishment especially those that service alcohol that way people can't congregate and stand around and buy their beers and bentos, and party in huge clusters. Allow home entertainment, make arrangements with the TV stations to allow free movies and games to keep the people and their families entertained at home while this shutdown is in effect. If the people are entertained at home perhaps this will give them time to relax and get their minds off of being stuck in the house all day.

To everyone living in Japan complaining about not being able to go out dining / drinking after 8 pm: Over here in Europe, restaurants and bars have been closed for nearly 7 months now. The last time I ate outside of my home was in October 2020. So please stop your crying and enjoy you bowl of Ramen before 8pm.

I'm not in any of the prefectures involved, but even if they do declare SoE it will be duly ignored like the last one. My business will not close and I will travel during Golden Week, enough already of the over-the-top fearmongering and control of the masses.

They are only requests and luckily the American written constitution does not allow the JP government to enforce laws that attempt agains human freedom. My body, my risk, my decision!

I think I have a solution to the covid19 problem in Japan.

Host free but mandatory concerts, costume parties , close proximity ramen eating competitions ans everything else that might help everybody 40- catch the virus .

There you go herd immunity in a month or so, easy peasy lemon lemon squeezy

@Zichi

Kobe is pretty good at the moment. We pop down once a fortnight as I have business to attend to in Sannomiya. All the places are open but the ones with the best lunch deals aren’t packed for luncheon anymore. The JR line to Osaka is pretty quiet too which guarantees a seat, never happens when foreign tourists are about. Of course we wear the masks to make others at ease but I don’t notice precautions anywhere except the odd restaurant that does temperature checks.

Wise move. The cases are spiking far too quickly.

Even with the reasonably weak previous SOE, cases did drop. Japan is not doing enough, and people have become complacent, so stronger measures are 100% needed.

Much, much more testing is needed, and of course vaccinations to be sped up massively.

same old silly responses from the government

Hours need extending to increase footfall and lessen crowded trains after 8pm. The main problem i have with this SOE lark as I had with the others, is having to eat so early when dining out. My partner and I enjoy dining out and having some alcohol at times, possibly until late at night. We are not naughty children that need to be sent to bed early, we are responsible adults