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Osaka to raise COVID-19 alert to highest level amid record cases

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People have to go about their lives as normal, but be aware of precautions. There is no cure for seasonal influenza that kills many every year for over 20 years. SARS-CoV-19 will not go away anytime soon.

3 ( +19 / -16 )

Well I am in downtown Osaka going to work on public transport to a building with almost 200 peeps innit.

I’m glad I am under red alert as I feel color codedly safer.

14 ( +25 / -11 )

Ooh how exciting a fresh new wave of non deadly infections.

Get ready to surf the sheet

-1 ( +18 / -19 )

Osaka's hospital bed occupancy rate has climbed to 49.6 percent

Because of Corona patients?

In a country with a vaccination rate of 81.5%?

I thought the vaccine is supposed to lower the risk of hospitalization?

Ah...sorry...I forgot...it is a new variant. So this is the excuse why 3x vaccinated didn't work anymore against hospitalization.

5 ( +24 / -19 )

The countries with the highest vaccination rates are having the highest so called Covid rates. New Zealand now that prides itself on around 80 percent vaxxed is now reporting all Covid cases increasing.

Reported on main world news sites lie Daily Mail etc.

Also reported that Haiti with one of the lowest vax rates has virtually no Covid cases. Make your own conclusions.

9 ( +26 / -17 )

Meanwhile… the rest of the world is living life. Travelling, going to concerts and Japan is stuck in a time capsule with masks glued to their faces, even in extreme heat.

11 ( +31 / -20 )

We’ve been told some untruths it seems?

10 ( +25 / -15 )

But Osaka Gov. Hirofumi Yoshimura has said the prefecture will likely restrict the movements of elderly people 

What does that mean?

Lock the old Folks down into their houses?

Complete BS!

Let these old folks live and enjoy their lives. Who knows how many more years they have to come?

Let the old folks decide by themselves what is good and what is not for them.

he has said the prefectural government will not ask restaurants and bars to shorten their business hours as it did before.

At least one clever thing.

*
4 ( +16 / -12 )

So far, deaths are not spiking. Let's hope it stays that way.

9 ( +13 / -4 )

Ok we all know that the vaccines don't prevent infection or transmission.

They don't seem to be preventing hospitalizations either.

Why black and white? Prevent? Like in zero cases? Bronco, perhaps you could give us an update on what the infection, hospitalization, and death ratios would be if no one were vaccinated? Without that you can’t say the vaccines are effective, but I know that goes against your narrative so I doubt we’ll hear from you on this!

-2 ( +15 / -17 )

How is it that unmasked Canada had a total of 1,200 total new cases yesterday, and Japan with 99.9% of the country constantly masked are raising alerts and talking about healthcare collapses?

8 ( +17 / -9 )

somebody pls say to these people on photo that face mask are not stopping covd and you may be infected if you wear it or not.

in our place all people are vaccinated and all wearing face mask/some even 24/7/ and all of us get infected and spent some 2 weeks at home.

one request for journos-if we need to know how many cases in Japan everyday and how many deaths in Japan everyday-pls be more specific and let us know percentage of cases/separate for vaccinated and non vaccinated/ and do same for deaths/separate number for vaccinated and non vaccinated/.

data from some european countries showing that some 70% of cases are vaccinated people/look for source of ministry of health of Czech repubic for example to see data from official source/.

everyone dont panic,live your life as before and enjoy nice sunny hot japanese summer!

5 ( +17 / -12 )

*How is it that unmasked Canada had a total of 1,200 total new cases yesterday, and Japan with 99.9% of the country constantly masked are raising alerts and *talking about healthcare collapses?

That is a good question.

I think, that the beds availability for Corona Patients didn't change in Japan, since the start of the pandemic.

I guess the government didn't change anything to increase the bed availability for Corona patients.

Therefore they reach 50% occupied beds very fast.

But it is not only the hospitalization which increases also the deaths are in increasing, with the confirmation of 115 more deaths, exceeding 100 for the first time, even 81.5% of the population is vaccinated.

So how should we judge the success of the 99.9% mask wearing and 81.5% vaccinated compare with the increasing hospitalization and deaths?

Like Vic.M said: make your own conclusion.

-5 ( +9 / -14 )

Last thing before my work starts,

I think the only way to avoid getting infected and further on getting sick and hospitalized is "social distance".

But who can and who will do that for the rest of their lives?

Because one thing we should understand, Corona will be with us forever.

But further on there is another point: Luck.

If you can not follow or don't want to follow "social distance", the only thing that is left to get not infected is: Luck.

Either you are lucky and you don't get infected, or you are not lucky and you get infected.

I wish you all a nice day...enjoy your summer and stay relaxed.

4 ( +11 / -7 )

i caught Covid in January 2022. Now that there are over 1 million infected in japan people are actually starting to realize the problems that exist. 1 problem is the government isn’t doing enough to scale for hospitals. Other countries have makeshift hospitals. Ambulances get turned away all the time from hospitals these days. The newspaper articles on this issue of the ambulances are horrible. With over 1 million infections we’re going to see an uptick in long Covid cases. Long Covid is going to be a reality society will need to live with.

3 ( +9 / -6 )

But Osaka Gov. Hirofumi Yoshimura has said the prefecture will likely restrict the movements of elderly people when the alert is raised to the highest level, given that they are at increased risk of developing severe symptoms when infected with the virus

Driving, eating mochi, handling smartphones, crossing busy streets, voting, handling money; seems there are many situations where the Japanese elderly by and large need restrictions on their movement for exhibiting questionable judgement.

In this case the governor means nothing much will be done.

1 ( +6 / -5 )

31 months and counting…. This isn’t rocket science people…. The vaccines have proven to be safe and effective at minimizing severe cases…. If you’re still not vaccinated and still making up excuses now …. Then your excuses have morphed over time …. Get started in your mRNA jabs asap ! If you’re eligible for a booster, get your appointment set asap ! Mask up when your or those around you health / safety is compromised. Follow the 3 C’s but do it for real ! Avoid any and all forms of public transportation…. The bars and restaurants don’t need you ! Luckily, it’s only the marginalized minority of anti everything clan that needs to come join the majority of responsible adults! Can’t learn to live with Covid until people stop dying from it. And the minority have proven this … we have all the necessary tools …. But can’t force want ….

-15 ( +11 / -26 )

Of course people are getting sick. They destroyed their immune systems with an experimental vax that just does not work.

2 ( +22 / -20 )

Three things can all be true:

Vaccines work no matter what the cult of FB posters say.

There is an up-tick in infection with symptoms that while mild (thanks to the “ineffective” vaccine), IS cause for concern.

And yeah, this Red alert has all the seriousness of Dean Wormer’s “double secret probation.”

Either actually DO something or shut it.

It brings to mind the Simpson’s movie when the mayor declared a “Code Black”, and one of the characters (while sitting next to the town’s sole African American) declared “that’s the worst color of all! (Notices the black guy) “Oh sorry” Lenny said “that’s ok, I get it all the time.”

That level of dumb.

-6 ( +11 / -17 )

I honestly feel sorry for you and your close ones.

Of course people are getting sick. They destroyed their immune systems with an experimental vax that just does not work.

-6 ( +10 / -16 )

How is it that unmasked Canada had a total of 1,200 total new cases yesterday, and Japan with 99.9% of the country constantly masked are raising alerts and talking about healthcare collapses?

Remember, it was almost the opposite last year with cases surging during the Delta era in Canada and the US with Tokyo under 500 daily cases. Some people were calling it "the Japanese miracle"

So what is going on now?

I suspect people who caught Delta in Canada developed an immunity to Omicron and in Japan, fewer people caught Delta and this new variant of Omicron is more transmissible.

1 ( +6 / -5 )

Isn’t everybody just the slightest bit sick of this drama. Can we please have 2019 back?

10 ( +17 / -7 )

Restrict the movements of elderly people? But keep the bars open? I'm 71. Thank you.

71 and going out all night drinking in Osaka? You da man. But, stubbornness shouldn’t get in the way that you are in a high risk category.

-9 ( +4 / -13 )

Bronco, perhaps you could give us an update on what the infection, hospitalization, and death ratios would be if no one were vaccinated?

Do you have those numbers at hand..?

Perhaps you could give us an update on hospitalizations for influenza?

2 ( +6 / -4 )

I wonder how it feels to be Japanese and follow a religion that was invented by the South Korean intelligence service?

2 ( +9 / -7 )

The Osaka government and the central government have no power to restrict the movement of any citizen. That would go against the constitution. There were no lockdowns because they are not legal.

12 ( +16 / -4 )

I have a hard time understanding how a country that is the most "masked" on the planet and supposedly over 80 percent "vaxed" is at epidemic proportions with Covid! Vaxed or not it's your choice and while there are the regulars on here that preach vaccinations to the hilt it is painfully obvious they have limited effect and seem to be a never ending number. What are we up to now; number 4, 5 ,6? While Japan was my home up until Covid i am glad to be here in Georgia in the United States where life is normal- no masks, restaurant restrictions, government restrictions, etc. For the record i am not vaxed and will not be but my Japanese wife got the needle before going to Japan on family business and ended up in the hospital for 2 days hooked up to a EKG machine. As far a Japan goes i tend to wonder if people being jammed up in trains like sardines every day might have something to do with all their problems! Of course since many of the politicians are probably getting their palms greased by the rail lines i don't expect to hear much about it.

10 ( +16 / -6 )

@Newgirlintown: Agree - That would be nice.

However, for me, the only 'drama' now is just the hysterical anti-vaxxer cult whose claims get more outlandish day by day. One poster (@Wobot) - posted a link from a balmy conspiracy link from 2018 yesterday! We know the vaccines don't stop transmission - but what we do know is that they keep people out of hospital. We know that a little extra hygiene helps and we know that masking up certainly helps on public transport. But the anti-vaxxer mob not only ridicule the vaccinated but won't even respect simple social norms. Scum, the lot of them. Merely prolonging this situation.

-8 ( +11 / -19 )

Actually Wallace , article 25 of the Japanese Constitution does allow for anything the jgov needs to do in the good of public health… I’m not sure and won’t guess what is going on in the minds of the powers that be right now …. Only that they won’t allow this fire to burn out of control much longer …

-8 ( +3 / -11 )

Here comes the SOE and the closed borders.

5 ( +12 / -7 )

How many people can't wear the mask over their nose? It's incredible how stupid people are.

-13 ( +6 / -19 )

It’s no wonder that Okinawa has many cases as the mainlanders go down there partying and with masks off.

Well, that’s how I caught Corona and my friends also.

It wasn’t a big deal for me but taking the next jab?

Well, there are so many variants (about 100) and any one of those will just evade the ‘latest vaccine’

Either immunity occurs more quickly or the virus just continues to mutate.

The last pandemic was over in a couple of years so I really wonder why this one is now in the 3rd year and still going strong?

-4 ( +5 / -9 )

Let's start reading the numbers please! For example the number of people hospitalised, those in critical condition, deaths, the mortality rate of the virus and so on... then let's draw conclusions honestly.

6 ( +6 / -0 )

@newgirlintown

Yea exactly lets go back to the 80's were awesome.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

Point and laugh at Japan.

The surge is affecting public transportation in many areas across the country. A bus company in Miyazaki Prefecture has reduced service. It now operates on its Sunday and holiday schedule.

A woman passenger in her 80s said, " It's a little inconvenient when I'm trying to go to the hospital."

The company says there aren't enough drivers right now. Dozens can't work because they've tested positive or are close contacts of people who are infected. A company official said, " It's difficult to rely on personnel from other districts because drivers can't fill in unless they know the route"

Nowhere else in the world are major cities needing to reduce their public transit schedules due to high infections. Because people got sick of taking tests and having to quarantine every time they turned up positive, missing work. Also, that was the whole reason the CDC reduced the quarantine time to three days to begin with.

It's time to stop testing and stop quarantining.

Follow the 3 C’s but do it for real ! Avoid any and all forms of public transportation….

Easy for you to say, most people actually need to work.

Japan is at a crossroads now. They can pillow smother their future by allowing a handful of armchair medical experts to guilt trip everybody into a voluntary lockdown every six months, or actually accept the reality that the virus is impossible to control by any realistic means, and move on.

-4 ( +10 / -14 )

I go to work everyday…. During the entire pandemic… I’ve missed 10 days due to being a close contact…. Most people around the country need and do go to work…. Next excuse ?

It’s time to finally ramo up mass testing and quarantining ….

-14 ( +3 / -17 )

Well whatever happens, I'll continue to ignore these vapid pronouncements from politicians. Yoshimura, like Koike, seems to enjoy appearing on TV looking serious and mouthing platitudes while contributing little of substance.

The only positive step the national government has been taking are those dull ads on TV telling people it's safe to unmask outdoors. But the message is so tepid that either people don't get it, or they just think it's too hard to put their mask on and take it off again all the time, or social pressure to keep the darn things on is still too high to overcome the message. Probably a bit of all three.

Shouldn't it be patently obvious that despite all the mask wearing, numbers continue to surge, indicating that masks do little to control the spread?

4 ( +8 / -4 )

I’ll post this again, I posted it before

”I’m positive there are many people that should be in the hospital that are getting turned away and if you want to know why read my comment above.”

2 ( +6 / -4 )

I guess my point is you cannot trust the published data for hospitalized patients. I’m relation to how detrimental Covid is because nobody really knows the full impact of this virus, not doctors and certainly not random people talking about it in a comment stream.

-4 ( +3 / -7 )

so all these experts on here saying the pandemic is over,

my J sister in law is a nurse and she triple vaxxed and has caught covid,get this her symptoms were mild, and yes the vast majority of people in serious condition she is treating are unvaxxed very few triple vaxxed individuals make it to ICU, facts dont care about your feelings.

oh heres an idea lets call covid the flu open everything up, thatll help with infections and hospitalisation, if not you can always stay home on a respirator because your not close to death yet and the hospitals are full anyways, long covid isnt real, isnt just a conspiracy

-9 ( +9 / -18 )

all vaccinated people are now infected, guess why!! fukin***** shot!

0 ( +13 / -13 )

The countries with the highest vaccination rates are having the highest so called Covid rates. New Zealand now that prides itself on around 80 percent vaxxed is now reporting all Covid cases increasing.

More like the opposite, the countries that have had risk factors that facilitate infections are the ones that understandably made a huge effort to vaccinate, so the risks that come after the infection become less important. Now, how about the rates of hospitalizations and death by infections? vaccination is (and has always been) meant to reduce the negative consequences of the infection, and this is being achieved with great success.

Shouldn't it be patently obvious that despite all the mask wearing, numbers continue to surge, indicating that masks do little to control the spread?

No, that is a non-sequitur. For all you know the numbers could be 20 times higher without masks. The only thing you can say is that the way masks are being used right now is not enough to completely stop transmission, it may be because the virus is too easy to transmit, or people are not wearing masks properly for example.

But saying that masks do little? no, for that you need evidence that 1.- people are wearing masks properly in situations of risk, and 2,- that not wearing masks would not increase importantly the number of cases.

-3 ( +8 / -11 )

Let’s try altogether to solve it by simple logic. First, the situation, corona viruses are all around, make some people sick and a few even die. In addition they replicate quicker and quicker which increases the chances for genetic recombinations into both directions, more harmless viruses and more harmful or deadly viruses. So summed up it’s in general potentially not any good for us humans and should be fought back. Right so far? Ok, now assumed, the viruses have become too dominant and numerous so that they are not disappearing anymore. In this case, ZeroCovid should be our goal. Now assumed, the viruses can be extinguished if measures , also some radical and time limited ones, taken seriously into consideration and practice. In that case, NoCovid should be the target to go for. What is so difficult to understand? Only ZeroCovid or NoCovid are the possible options here. Not one infection wave after another, not one vaccination round after another, not wearing masks 24/7 and even at home and also not that neglecting or downplaying ignorance of it all and instead propagating a naive illusion of happy life with the viruses.

-10 ( +1 / -11 )

Masks really work obviously.

2 ( +10 / -8 )

vic.MToday  07:45 am JST

The countries with the highest vaccination rates are having the highest so called Covid rates. New Zealand now that prides itself on around 80 percent vaxxed is now reporting all Covid cases increasing.

True. New Zealand has mishandled this entire crisis economically, and healthwise. As a small island country with a small density, it is incredible how it did not follow through with their initially successful zero covid strategy. Economically, the country was in a recession. And after it eased zero covid restrictions its infection rate skyrocketed, undeniably according to its own government statistics.

For all you know the numbers could be 20 times higher without masks. 

So that means the Japanese government is underreporting its cases. Of course, that number "20 times" is completely random and not based on any scientific data, right?

4 ( +10 / -6 )

True. New Zealand has mishandled this entire crisis economically, and healthwise

Not at all, in fact New Zealand has been repeatedly praised by international experts for their handling of the pandemic.

 it is incredible how it did not follow through with their initially successful zero covid strategy.

Not incredible at all, experts coincide in saying the strategy is unsustainable and counterproducitve thanks to the apparition of the variants.

And after it eased zero covid restrictions its infection rate skyrocketed, undeniably according to its own government statistics.

No, it is not after the restriction were lifted (since months passed after that without problem) but after omicron entered the country, and this is the same thing that happened everywhere else in the world, including China, is your argument that China also eased their zero covid restrictions and that is why their cases skyrocketed? because that is easily proved false.

So that means the Japanese government is underreporting its cases.

that makes no sense, is the Japanese government hiding numbers from an hypothetical situation? how does that work?

You understand what an hypothetical situation is, right? it helps illustrating an argument so it is easier for other people to understand. It makes no sense to bring sources for a situation that only is used to explain the point.

-7 ( +5 / -12 )

Not at all, in fact New Zealand has been repeatedly praised by international experts for their handling of the pandemic.

Hilarious--and of course you have no source.

I have a source( and it talks about experts!):

*Experts** told MailOnline that previously low levels of infection in New Zealand due to strict Covid curbs is behind the high fatality rate now because the economically-crippling measures only delayed 'inevitable' infections that could have built-up immunity.*

New Zealand Covid deaths soar to RECORD high as Omicron wreaks havoc: Scientists claim nation is vulnerable because it spent too long under 'hermit' China-style eradication strategy

 It means the country's current mortality rate is twice as high as the UK's and four times higher than the US. 

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-11038495/New-Zealand-COVID-19-death-rate-record-levels.html

that makes no sense, is the Japanese government hiding numbers from an hypothetical situation? how does that work?

Oh, you forgot your earlier statement, which I agree made no sense. Let's see it again:

For all you know the numbers could be 20 times higher without masks.

-3 ( +6 / -9 )

Two more years of sealed boarders ?

The entire tourist business / economy will collapse.

1 ( +7 / -6 )

The science says that the vaxx is ineffective against the BA. 5 variant which, although more easily transmitted, is also less severe than even Omicron.

0 ( +7 / -7 )

I guess my point is you cannot trust the published data for hospitalized patients. I’m relation to how detrimental Covid is because nobody really knows the full impact of this virus, not doctors and certainly not random people talking about it in a comment stream.

If can't trust the official data or random people talking about it in a comment stream, then who can we trust?

1 ( +4 / -3 )

*Experts** told MailOnline that previously low levels of infection in New Zealand due to strict Covid curbs is behind the high fatality rate now because the economically-crippling measures only delayed 'inevitable' infections that could have built-up immunity.*

New Zealand Covid deaths soar to RECORD high as Omicron wreaks havoc: Scientists claim nation is vulnerable because it spent too long under 'hermit' China-style eradication strategy

 It means the country's current mortality rate is twice as high as the UK's and four times higher than the US. 

What's interesting about this is I think this partly explains why the number of deaths in Japan is higher in 2022 than it was in 2021. A lot of people voluntarily put themselves under lockdown until 2022. There were no restrictions on nationwide travel, but a lot of towns in the countryside expressed extreme hostility towards anybody travelling in or returning, even their own family members apparently.

However, the lockdown lifestyle is inarguably bad for health. Not enough exercising, too much sitting down, too much eating Combini food, not enough sunlight, poor regulation of dopamine and seratonin, ect. No wonder Omni is hitting them so hard even though they were triple (four times?) vaccinated.

As for me, I ignored just about all of the suggestions, and I have been fine this entire time, everyone around me has been fine this entire time. Young people below the age of forty seem to be killing it, a virtually Covid invincible demographic vaccinated or not.

-1 ( +6 / -7 )

Returned to Osaka last night after a delightful trip to Hokkaido with my partner. Went to Otaru festival on Sunday, a million attended. Seems like the sensible people are out and about enjoying their lives again, which I have done during the whole pandemic, whilst taking sensible precautions

I’ll pop out shortly and see some of my chums, very much doubt the alert level will affect anything to be honest

Dont let the fear mongers scare you, enjoy life and maintain a PMA (Positive Mental Attitude).

-4 ( +8 / -12 )

> Think I’ll go to Thailand, lay on the beach, and smoke a joint.

Come on down-zero entry restrictions coming from

Japan only either a negative PCR check or 2 shots…

-6 ( +2 / -8 )

Or if J&J one shot…

-4 ( +1 / -5 )

Experts without name nor credentials saying that infections with variants that produce more frequently complications and deaths, on a population that was not vaccinated supposedly would be safer than infections with a milder variant on a much better vaccinated population? How come the experts can't support their opinion with scientific data?

And you provide no source for your non-medical opinion.

If you had read the link you would have seen the information for which you question, so obviously this is one of your troll moves.

I explicitly commented about this, you still don't understand what an illustration done with an hypotetical situation is? 

Oh--you are still making the same mistake? You got caught making the statement you have been trying to ignore for awhile. So you believe Japan is underreporting its cases--many others do to. Good to see you finally learned from us.

-4 ( +5 / -9 )

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