Japan enacts laws setting fines for antivirus measure noncompliance

COVID-19 patients resisting hospitalization can be fined up to 500,000 yen ($4,760) and those who fail to participate in epidemiological surveys by health authorities, up to 300,000 yen.

How about if I want to be hospitalized but can't? The government should pay at least the same for the trouble. If I die then I expect them to cover the cost of my funeral too, at the very least.

About the surveys. Does it include street ones too?

What about fining those idiots who still want to hold the Olympics when we know that they will help spread the contagion?

Instead of fining people, they should better fine companies which still refuse to send their employees into home office.

To bring the spread under control you have to make the full packed morning trains and the full packed offices empty.

agree 100%

Instead of fining people, they should better fine companies which still refuse to send their employees into home office.

To bring the spread under control you have to make the full packed morning trains and the full packed offices empty.

But this morning, it is same like yesterday morning, the Chuo Line is much more less crowded than before the 2nd SOE.

I really would say, it is 50% less crowded.

I hope it will stay like that.

If someone is seriously sick then it is pretty near impossible to ’escape’ from anywhere.

Having the virus but wearing a mask and distancing is enough to prevent spread to a large degree.

Attention to diet and vitamin supplementation is also effective but not talked about as far as I can see on Japanese tv.

The constant panic and economic damage and now fines?

Who will enforce these fines?

The Japanese police?

Stupidity at best

During all these press conferences, did the media ever asked necessary questions, like how about the 15,000 people waiting to be hospitalized? Media should do their jobs properly, too, you know.

How 'bout just closing all the Hostess Bars and ration soap... LOL

Will the hospital get fined if I get infected and they tell me to stay at home, but I prefer to be hospitalized? Let me answer..No, they will not.

I am interested to see what eatry will be fined first. Usually Japan is just full of lip service, and no action..so it will be interesting to see how this plays out.

The slippery slope to a totalitarian regime. To those cheering this, be forewarned: it's your rights to your own body and life that you just lost. Next, it won't be an influenza-like illness (ILI), but just any demand by the government "for the good of the public". You really do not comprehend how awful this power truly is.

I don’t want to keep saying this Government can’t get anything right.

However, rather than actually taking measures to stop the spread of the virus, they just dreamed up a way to collect revenue.

If a bar packed with young unmasked people stays open until late, how will the new rules be enforced? Will enforcing the rules use up resources that would have been better spent on rolling out vaccines?

Instead of fining people, they should better fine companies which still refuse to send their employees into home office. 

To bring the spread under control you have to make the full packed morning trains and the full packed offices empty.

Remote working for every office worker would be a measure that would bring the real numbers down.

However, after 1 year of countless meetings with experts, J-Gov has not concluded yet this should be a priority.

Maybe another year of meetings to get there...

The train lines I take to work are 90% as busy as before pandemic times.

And restaurants at lunch time are packed as a consequence, as people who go to offices have to eat lunch.

I don’t have hopes anything will ever be done to push for remote work here in Japan, very unfortunately.

If I have a business that was my dream, I work hard and have pride. Life is hard, but if you love your life effort, you want to work longer as customers are scarce.

Customers also appreciate the fact that after work, they can renourish their tired bodies and relax from a hard days stress including unpaid overtime. 9pm.

but hey, our dear leader believes it is a great idea punish small businesses with either a close your business death sentence or pay a large business death sentence fine if you stay open.

going to work on crowded trains, wearing ineffective paper masks, is OK.

i guess it is worth being financially and mentally destroyed...because we have the Olympics!!! On TV provided by US networks! Rejoice.

"The slippery slope to a totalitarian regime. To those cheering this, be forewarned: it's your rights to your own body and life that you just lost. Next, it won't be an influenza-like illness (ILI), but just any demand by the government "for the good of the public". You really do not comprehend how awful this power truly is."

EXACTLY!

Also, how many times can someone be fined? If you resfuse to participate in an "epidemiological survey", whatever that means, then you get fined 300,000yen. Could someone be fined an indefinite number of times for refusal? 2 times a week, month? Where does it end? It ends when we all stand up and say "enough is enough". Are medical staff and police going to walk door to door dragging people out of their homes for tests and fining those who refuse?

If the masks actually work, why bother with this testing? It's never about health, but compliance. Otherwise, why don't they recommend vitamins, minerals, exercise, fruits, vegitables...? Ah, wait, those aren't profitable for big pharma and the politicians they bought off to roll out this medical tyranny.

My home state of Montana with a population of just under one million has an infection rate of almost 90,000, my county pushing 12,000...the lack of taking this seriously in MT is pushing numbers up...here in Wakayama last I checked infections were about 1,000...same population.

masking and physical distance and taking this virus seriously is vital. In addition Wakayama folks seem to be very focused of safety.

All this talk of "the slippery slope to a totalitarian regime." How is it different from fining people for carrying weapons or for using the telephone while driving? One of the government's jobs is to promote the safety of the population and one way of achieving this is to prevent contagious people from transmitting a sometimes deadly disease to others.

Will enforcing the rules use up resources that would have been better spent on rolling out vaccines?

Can't imagine how it will affect the rollout of vaccines that we don't have yet.

Its taken just over a whole YEAR for Japan to pass these laws.

Japan recognised the situation and was evacuating its citizens from Wuhan in Jan 2020.

Scare tactics won't work.

Wasn't there a news story the other day saying that 15,000 people were waiting to get into hospital? I hope they wouldn't fine them.

I agree that they should fine businesses who aren't taking safety measures. ...Mostly so I can report my work.

Good move.

Good, people now have additional choices, to be fined or not be fined. Seems just letting people decide to be a jerk or not isnt working so good anymore

The slippery slope to a totalitarian regime. To those cheering this, be forewarned: it's your rights to your own body and life that you just lost. Next, it won't be an influenza-like illness (ILI), but just any demand by the government "for the good of the public". You really do not comprehend how awful this power truly is.

i understand we are loosing freedom but if they try to pull this in the USA it would trigger a civil war. But here in Japan no one is opposing this insane law. Good luck trying to fine everyone in Japan as it seems it’s the goal.

I can't believe they don't fine people in Japan. As a comparison you should see what some power mad politicians in Australia do under the cover of Covid. One particularly stupid one (in Western Australia) has just enacted a $50,000 fine for individuals who don't check in with a QR code. And $250,000 for corporations. Who's going to pay that?

Vitamin D3, Zinc, C are important to keep the immune system strong...D3 has been especially important in immune system care!

Hey restaurants and bars, we'll pay you to shorten hours, but you need to remain open.

And we will fine you for opening, too long!

Also, don't promote the spread of covid-19 or we will fine you money!

But don't go anywhere out doors unless its absolutely mandatory.

Any more contradictions Japan? I don't think that's enough.

If they will really carry out the fines.

@Ricky Sanchez

It is almost impossible to locate an infection source outside of imposing laboratory conditions.

These measures are mild, China has clearly demonstrated how to keep COVID in check. Massive testing and complete shutdowns. The whiners above cannot think long term at all, as long as COVID is a threat the economy will not recover not matter how much fake happy talk there is. Look at the USA for the complete failure of wrongly prioritizing economics over public safety. The two cannot be separated. China and other countries that handled the pandemic maturely have proven this so clearly.

As far as the stupid behavior of people, that is not anything new at all. People act against their own best interests or those of others everyday. Look at smoking. Case closed.

Who do they think they are? It’s time people started pushing back like they are in Austria and Italy

imprisonment would be best for those Who break covid rules