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Abe warns Japanese to prepare for prolonged coronavirus battle

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Right.

And we are holding olympics next year.

Yay.

8 ( +16 / -8 )

Japan is lucky to have Abe as a leader. He makes the right decisions in these tough uncertain times.

-65 ( +13 / -78 )

Oh it's ok... my company already fired 120 people. Eveything is under control

34 ( +37 / -3 )

Did anyone see how the reporters were seated? There was no spacing between them at all. They can’t even do that right at the conference talking about measures to minimize spreading. What a joke.

48 ( +52 / -4 )

Especially since he plans to take no new measures against it, nor increase testing significantly.

22 ( +29 / -7 )

SHOW ME THE MONEY!!! lol

9 ( +13 / -4 )

Yeah, prolonged, because YOU put the Olympics at the top of your list of priorities and held out for as long as possible. Half of me thinks the Olympics deserved to be cancelled because of the way he and his posse have acted!

brandon:

Did anyone see how the reporters were seated? There was no spacing between them at all. They can’t even do that right at the conference talking about measures to minimize spreading. What a joke.

I don't know whether it's because the average Japanese knows little about what precautions are being taken around the world. As someone who is keeping an eye on what's happening in other countries, including my own and those where other relatives live (they're all affected), even I am trying not to get too close to people in the supermarkets, even though it's difficult. I can avoid walking up too close to the person in front of me in the line, but I can't stop people breathing behind my neck. Thank god I don't need public transport in my everyday life.

23 ( +30 / -7 )

He sure said a whole lot of nothing

31 ( +35 / -4 )

So, no news at all here. That's great. Do we get a hot dog with all of this?

16 ( +17 / -1 )

This is simply all too late. Oh dear. We are all in for one hell of a ride.

17 ( +18 / -1 )

I don't know whether it's because the average Japanese knows little about what precautions are being taken around the world

I think it's safe to assume the average Japanese person knows very little about what other countries are doing. It's certainly not being reported much in the Japanese media that I've seen at least. What's even more concerning is it would appear the J-Gov are also oblivious to what other countries are doing or have done. There is a wealth of information out there as to what is working and not working.

12 ( +15 / -3 )

Reporters are sitting close without wearing masks.

16 ( +16 / -0 )

At a local city hall in Osaka yesterday I was helping a friend get some tax documents and the only information/guidelines regarding Coronavirus I could see displayed was a poster asking if I visited Wuhan or Hubei province in China in the last two weeks and a phone number to call if I had and was feeling flu like symptoms.

15 ( +15 / -0 )

tamanegi:

a poster asking if I visited Wuhan or Hubei province in China in the last two weeks and a phone number to call if I had and was feeling flu like symptoms.

Unbelievable. They need to update themselves by two months, at the very least. They could also add, have you visited a Japanese hotspot recently?

13 ( +14 / -1 )

Like this package should have been rolled out already!

The economic fallout will be huge!

However, Japan is not seeing a large number of deaths here (at least not here in Kansai)

I know more than a few medical staff and they would be saying if they had.

Yes, the spread is frightening and concerning outside the country but while cases are up in Japan,deaths are nowhere like other countries.

8 ( +8 / -0 )

Outrageous

7 ( +8 / -1 )

Btw...you heard it here first. Japan on lockdown for two weeks starting Tuesday/Wednesday next weekZ

0 ( +3 / -3 )

Well since he isn't going to be wearing his mario suit anytime soon, might a well get back to work. He only cared about the Olympics. Pathetic little man.

8 ( +11 / -3 )

However, Japan is not seeing a large number of deaths here (at least not here in Kansai)

Luckily. But with coronavirus it is a case of plan for the worst, hope for the best.

There are still idiots out there downplaying the risk of this thing, through a heady mixture of an inability to understand statistics and blind obstinacy. They are going for the best and only willing to plan for the best.

If billion people catch this over the next year, that's a minimum of 10m dead. We are looking at something like the Spanish flu.

3 ( +5 / -2 )

Should have done this a month ago

8 ( +8 / -0 )

The complacency among many is a marker for a spike in the number of cases. Social distancing is not being practiced when in the company of peers. Meetings take place, surfaces are not cleaned & disinfected, hand washing is not regularly practiced in workplaces. Commuters on trains, though masked, frequently cough without bothering to cover their mouths. This very evening, a large group of individuals will pack a music venue, Livehouse, in Nara - seemingly unable to fathom the fact that recently, Livehouse in Osaka, had to close four venues due to the spread of the pathogen, it required testing 200 people and 55 were confirmed with the virus. Osaka, now has approximately 180 cases of coronavirus. Tokyo 300. There was a short spate of vigilance against the pathogen, but that has faded, for whatever reason. One thing is for certain, business is down. Why? Because of the shift to industrial tourism and cultivating Chinese and other Asian visitors to descend upon Japan. A continual expansion which shifts local and regional economies with very certain detrimental effects. Which is apparently unsustainable and certainly not the locus of a social ecology based on local resources and environs, it ignores actual economics within a specific area or domain. Industrial tourism is a peculiar form of offshoring, however it is beholden to a boom/bust wave - as opposed to domestic tourism which is predictable and sustainable and not prone to outside financial interests. You have a Chinese company, in Nara, that rents bicycles thru the use of an app. How does that benefit Nara? It does upend local businesses who perform that very service. That's an easy example. And where did it all lead? The coronavirus originated in Wuhan China. Not Japan. It was introduced by an outside source. Now you have community infections. The virus was first noted in October 2019. Became problematic in December. A response was not forthcoming until the end of February. Now it is almost April. The only place with an actual plan that has contained the virus, has not come from Tokyo and under the direction of Abe, but in Wakayama, which has taken matters into its own hands, this in spite of Tokyo, and without help from the National government. An economics based on tourism from China and Korea and other foreign entities, has crashed completely - and the pathogen, a gift from China has impacted the entire school system, innumerable businesses and endangered the health of the many; there is no plan in place to alleviate the damage done and a future which looks increasingly bleak.

10 ( +12 / -2 )

Thank you Emperor Abe. That's one new arrow you can sling at us. Can't wait to see your other two.

4 ( +6 / -2 )

We could have contained this thing fairly easily... Japan was one of the first countries to have cases thanks to the diamond princess.

we could have closed boarders.

we could have started checking people locally and arriving in Japan

we could have prevented people from the ship to move around without quarantine.

we could have stopped people from gathering

yet all we did was to close schools

22 ( +24 / -2 )

Japan is lucky to have Abe as a leader. He makes the right decisions in these tough uncertain times.

I challenge YOU and any one else to name ONE thing that Abe has done for the people of Japan!

19 ( +22 / -3 )

Japan is lucky to have Abe as a leader. He makes the right decisions in these tough uncertain times.

Which alternate universe does this happen in?

17 ( +20 / -3 )

According to NHK, Chiba Prefecture has just announced 57 new cases. All the cases are in one facility for the disabled. 37 of the 70 residents had symptoms of fever, so the prefecture was conducting a virus test.

Shocking.

10 ( +11 / -1 )

But wait, just a week ago when he still thought he was having the Olympics, Japan was being lauded the world over for having stopped Covid-19 in its tracks. This man is a joke.

18 ( +20 / -2 )

Has anyone else noticed that up until a few days ago the media was reporting the number of new infections nationally, but the past few days only reporting Tokyo numbers. Nice way to mask the increase from roughly 30 new cases a day to approximately 150 new infections a day over last couple of days.

14 ( +16 / -2 )

pledged to compile the "boldest-ever" stimulus package to address the economic impact from the coronavirus outbreak, including cash handouts to underpin household spending

Good. Can we have it after we fix the problem of the "rampant" spread of covid-19 in Japan ? Because as of now that is trying to fill a pierced bucket. Lot of people will not go outside spending money as long as the risk of catching the bug exist.

Do you math, mister the Prime Minister of Economy : one evening in the restaurant : 5000yens + visit to the doctor and medecine : 1000 yens + documentation for leave of work : 4000 yens + 4 days of unpaid sick leave : 40000yens + 10 days of unpaid isolation leave : 100000 yens + the potential loss of yearly bonus / the potential downgrading in the advancement scheme / the potential loss of you job / the potential contamination of the rest of the family and cost related / the potential need to move because for the neighbor you are the one which had it / .... : no price.

First you froze the economy the best you can (utilities/taxes cut / salary subsidiary / job subsidiary (form and send people without job to sector in need) / ... ). Second you get ride of the bug. Third you relaunch the machine and you will, most likely, be surprised to see that it will be smoother as several people are currently not spending much so even with lose of bonus and so on they are keeping at float and when things will be solved they will be so happy to spend money partying and so on.

7 ( +7 / -0 )

This is an embarrassment.

Japan had a head start over the US, EU... we should be in the same shape as South Korea, Singapore and Hong Kong at least.

Instead, we are just starting to overshoot and spike in cases. And this is still with minimal testing being done.

At this rate Japan may be the last advanced country to start to downtrend in cases.

17 ( +17 / -0 )

Most people will be back on the packed trains first thing Monday morning.

12 ( +12 / -0 )

Meanwhile back in Germany, the whole country is in lockdown and tests are being done about 500.000 PER WEEK! Japan will need a few weeks to even get to 100.000 tests. Pathetic.

5 ( +9 / -4 )

So let's have a look at the timeline:

Nov 29 - First known case in China.

21 Jan - Chinese authorities first publicly concede there was human-to-human transmission.

End of Jan to start of Feb - Chinese New Year.

• Japan (in particular Tokyo and Hokkaido) is the 2nd most popular destination for Chinese tourists during this time.

Mid-late Feb - First spike / cluster of virus cases in Hokkaido.

Late Feb - Diamond Princess cruise ship.

Feb 23 - infected passengers let off the ship and made their way home via public transport - some traveling through central Tokyo.

Feb 23 to March 24 - Not a lot happens in terms of prevention. Schools 'close' but some kids keep going to school. Generally business as usual. Government keeps insisting the Olympics are going ahead as planned.

March 24 - Olympics cancelled

March 28 - Abe calls for heightened vigilance against the surge in COVID-19 cases in Japan.

I'd love to hear Abe explain what specifically has happened in the last few days to cause this surge in cases? Why the sudden jump in numbers and the sudden increase in serious concern?

This virus has been in Japan since Chinese New Year in late Jan-early Feb. When the first cluster was found in Hokkaido (skiing tourists?), it's reasonable to presume there were similar numbers in Tokyo too. The reason clusters weren't found in Tokyo is just a matter of the numbers in relation to the population. As no action was taken, it was left to spread around Tokyo and beyond. Infected people were let off the cruise ship and allowed to travel home on public transport - so it clearly spread in late Feb too. For more than a month, no serious or appropriate action was taken, so it has been left to spread.

The numbers have clearly been suppressed. People haven't been tested. Many reports state people with symptoms being diagnosed with bronchitis, hay-fever, pneumonia, influenza, and told to go home - only for them to return to hospital a second or third time before they are finally diagnosed with COVID. While the rest of the world is quarantining, practicing social distancing and teleworking, Japan has barely changed its behaviour.

If this is now a surge, its because of the non-action of the government since mid-February. If Abe thinks today's numbers constitute reason to be more serious, then think about what the real numbers actually show - because the actual numbers will be many times more than what are being officially reported.

25 ( +25 / -0 )

Well, at least some action is better late than never...

-6 ( +1 / -7 )

Reducing Taxes is great for those in a job, but if as a Temporary worker, you've been laid off, then you don't pay taxes anyway, so it doesn't really help you.

4 ( +6 / -2 )

@Yabaru .... Abe is the longest serving PM... so the Japanese Voters keep him in Office.. Foreign residents - even though who have Permanent Residency are not allowed to vote, either here or back home - so don't blame us for anyone's woes.

1 ( +4 / -3 )

Solution to avoid getting infected: open the windows

Thanks Abe...for nothing

8 ( +8 / -0 )

If Abe and the rest of the world leaders had any brains at all they would have stopped this virus in january at their borders, but they persisted and let it permeate and develop in their own countries knowing full well it was a raging fire storm.

These dumb pollies are responsible for this terrible situation and economic destruction, get rid of them all , a smart politician would have closed the borders months ago.

Why now does everyone have to live with the threat and stress of a destroyed economy and no freedom to go freely outside and carry out their normal daily life, who choose this for them?

8 ( +8 / -0 )

Has anyone else noticed that up until a few days ago the media was reporting the number of new infections nationally, but the past few days only reporting Tokyo numbers.

Japanese media? No, I haven't. Perhaps because I read Japanese. The language is not required to make sense of www3.nhk.or.jp. You could also try Asahi Digital, Yahoo Japan, or any number of other outlets.

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

Basically for every case there is now assume they will each make 3 more and so on and so until some actually preventive action happens. This is just the beginning and the lack of action earlier is going to be paid in lots of lost lives later.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

its far too little, far too late, these measures and other measures should have been put in place WEEKS ago, now Japan is just going to have to wait and see what happens, and I am sorry to say its not going to be pretty.

5 ( +7 / -2 )

Lower the Unemployment rate from 5.4% to 2.2%

Depends how you want to classify employed

7 ( +7 / -0 )

So nothing proactive to deal with the underlying cause, disease. Everything entered on the economy. I think he has got his priorities a little mixed. While there is a need in the longer term to support the economy the priority at the moment is to suppress the spread of the virus that is the proximate cause of all the problems. But apparently nothing is to be done .

4 ( +5 / -1 )

this is going to last for a long time.

And also leas to a recession.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

blah blah blah urge blah blah regrettable blah blah regrettable

How about you own up to what happened first? Everyone knew exactly what they were doing- putting the Olympics before the well being of people.

10 ( +10 / -0 )

I wonder if this is why I've been waking up with panic attacks each morning in southern Miyagi for the last month? Sorry, I was being sarcastic! Of cause it is!

0 ( +1 / -1 )

As the Olympics are gone let’s show our face to public and get some votes by acting tough and portray that we are doing something.

it’s too little too late. Japan is still complacent and the Govt’s current action is saving face and setting grounds to start blaming the public for the spread.

6 ( +6 / -0 )

Start school on time. That’ll fix things.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

If this is a long-term warfare, at least for years to come, we should consider making a long term strategy, not (costly) makeshift one.

I suggest constructing a virus-proof society instead of virus-free. Online work and education should be actively employed and further upgraded (with 5G tech?). Improved logistics and home delivery services with IT help can mitigate stockpile shortage and panic buying.

For the sake of social distancing, it is important to minimize some risky spaces for crowded gatherings and public transportation. Aside from the virus, highly crowded places are generally unsafe due to natural disasters or terrorism. Tokyo and other populous cities across Japan should be diversified and depopulated with incentive programs (not in the way Stalin or Mao forced people into countryside!). All can hardly be attained overnight, so let it get started asap.

Contingencies will remain until a workable vaccine is made ready for larger a population. People should adjust themselves to new mode of life-style.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

Last week he is like'Nothing to see here!' now he's 'warning Japanese to prepare for a prolonged battle!'! Oh, and if your not Japanese, don't even think about asking for help!

11 ( +11 / -0 )

A hard rain's gonna fall in Japan, but this time it won't be the usual shower of contempt from the arrogant LDP honchos who dwell above the clouds in their paradise of impunity. Too bad there is no Japanese word for "accountability" and no public appetite for digging for dirt to get to the truth (unless the final death toll is too great to ignore the question of who was ultimately to blame for the coronavirus catastrophe).

9 ( +9 / -0 )

Why are there people loving this Abe goon for his incompetence?

5 ( +6 / -1 )

According to NHK, Chiba Prefecture has just announced 57 new cases. All the cases are in one facility for the disabled. 32 of the people who tested positive work there which means that they have lives outside the facility, thus potentially spreading the virus.

Incredible.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

"We will draw up the boldest-ever package by using all policy tools, such as reducing or exempting tax payments and extending financial assistance," Abe said.

Let me thank Mr. Abe for this on behalf of several posters here living paycheck to paycheck!

-6 ( +1 / -7 )

In most of the world you have pro-any sides media.

Japan has nothing of that, just yes men.

No free press = no democracy = no transparency.

As simple as that

8 ( +8 / -0 )

Captdingle

Japan was being lauded the world over for having stopped Covid-19 in its tracks.

Completely false.

Everybody that I know abroad is questioning the Japan numbers.

5 ( +6 / -1 )

Has anyone else noticed that up until a few days ago the media was reporting the number of new infections nationally, but the past few days only reporting Tokyo numbers.

I used to think there was a media here but the ghosn case and the reporting of the virus here has me finally convinced there isn't a media but a nationalism fanning and PR tool of the government.

It is really pathetic and an embarrassment.

5 ( +6 / -1 )

I listened to his "emergency announcment" as I did the other day. For the record, he droned on for around 40 minutes or more and said exactly nothing (like he did the first time). I kid you not. He spent almost the entire time just going over what had happened, and how we are in crisis and that it's important to avoid crowds, etc, etc and how it was a serious situation and how the government would come up with concrete measures to deal with it. WTF man.

I want those 40 minutes of my life back. Abe, you're a joke. The whole thing in Japan is treated as joke, and you treat the Japanese people as a joke.

Sorry, I'm lost for words.

7 ( +8 / -1 )

He spent almost the entire time just going over what had happened, and how we are in crisis and that it's important to avoid crowds, etc, etc and how it was a serious situation and how the government would come up with concrete measures to deal with it. 

It is the government's job to report to the public what has happened first hand, not only through some printed media. eg,, Japan Today. So he reported what had happened.

He let us hear him speak live, listen to his own voice, not through private printed news sources, e.g., Sora News.

It is far from nothing.

-5 ( +1 / -6 )

Everything is just about money. Nothing about mitigating disease spread and saving lives.

In yesterday’s news report, it says Tokyo can have 4,000 more beds and 3,000 ventilators, and claims that is enough, which clearly isnt.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Whats with all the negativity here!?

Easy to put others down when you'r doing NOTHING for your self or others.

-3 ( +1 / -4 )

Well, Japan under Shinzo Abe is now on course to joining the incompetent CCP regime of Xi and the hapless and inept South Korean Moon Jae-in, who fiddled while Daegu's SARS COV-2 numbers exploded!

Great job China and the religious zealots in Daegu for spreading this virus and destroying the global economy.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

Luckily cold, wet weather will greet us all Sunday morning with possible snow. This should keep some people in. I will be entering my tenth day after taking public transportation to the Kanagawa Cancer Center. Chemotherapy could not be missed.

Wondering and hoping that virus numbers do not explode so that the pandemic that is probably already here does not lift up to its ugly face. Be safe everyone!

2 ( +2 / -0 )

They pretended everything was fine all in a bid to have the Olympics at all cost. When the games was postponed, the reality of the spread of corona virus hit home and now they are in a race against time to contain an explosive outbreak here. If next year by now the virus is still around, kiss the Olympics goodbye.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

let's focus on Japan.

i don,t see other countries asking for test kits from Japan,

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Frankly, there's nothing special that South Korea has accomplished

They seem to have brought their Covid cases under control faster than most countries.

How is that nothing special?

3 ( +3 / -0 )

@Yabaru .... Abe is the longest serving PM... so the Japanese Voters keep him in Office.. Foreign residents - even though who have Permanent Residency are not allowed to vote, either here or back home - so don't blame us for anyone's woes.

You have no idea how the system works here if you think the "Japanese" voters overall keep him in office!

All he has to worry about in any general election is a tiny corner of his home district. That's it, THEY vote him in!

So what about people with PR not getting to vote, if it was THAT important to them, they could apply for citizenship and get the right!

But you still havent answered the question, you deflected it! So you gotta be Japanese, or at least a Japanophile!

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

In yesterday’s news report, it says Tokyo can have 4,000 more beds and 3,000 ventilators, and claims that is enough, which clearly isnt.

This coming from a man claiming the country had potential for 8000 PCR test a day, yet more than 2 weeks later that potential has never been reached and will never be reached because the intention to reach it is not there.

He was fast reaching a decision to buy 100 F-35 to please his master Donny. He was fast pledging 50 million dollars to Ivanka to please his master Donny.

How many respirators, facilities, PCR test etc can be gotten with just one F-35?

Look how this virus has shown these expensive killing machines are no match but just a waste if money. If countries had wisely spend on their medical system, deaths won't be this many. Are we going to learn? I don't think.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Stop the Press! Abe has just announced that he will appoint a panel of experts to select members of an action task force who will convene to nominate members of a committee tasked with scheduling meetings!!! Phew we're in safe hands....

1 ( +1 / -0 )

From a political point of view, sadly, I just don't see anything happening to Abe or the LDP. The Japanese public might moan a bit, ratings make dip, but then everything will be business as usual again for him. You deserve the politicians you voted for. Of course, that applies to other countries too (shout out to USA).

0 ( +0 / -0 )

"At this point, we don't need to declare a state of emergency..." Yes you do! Do it now!

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Serious question. If someone with the Corona sneezes on a crowded train, will more people possibly be contaminated if the windows are all open blowing the drops all over or if the windows are closed?

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Tom: It is probably a toss up. Anyway, until summer expect the windows to be closed.

At this writing the bodies are piling up in Europe and now the U.S. Like it or not, Japan is heading that way. Japan will have to go on lockdown.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

@JeanC: Windows were open on Odakyu train lines down to the surf at Shonan all last week. I was surprised too because it was the wrong season.

I open them all the time because so many people are offensive with mells especially cigarettes and if someone reaches over to close it, I open it back up again, show my asthma inhaler and say sorry and they leave it be.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Has anybody seen any announcements from the Japanese government for plans to expand Covid testing, increase ICU beds, and/or increase ventilator supply?

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Meanwhile the pachinko parlors are FULL and Abe's wife is out shopping and cherry blossom viewing:

https://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20200329-00000034-dal-ent

0 ( +0 / -0 )

lockdown the Airport or test everyone upon arrival at the airport

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Abe warns Japanese to prepare for prolonged coronavirus battle

The virus wont be so prolonged. We will see it defeatd pretty soon. However, the economic aftershocks will last for a while. Lots of bankruptcies, lots of disrupted supply chains. And in this case, the typical government response ("stimulating" us by printing money only makes the problem worse).

0 ( +0 / -0 )

"I have to say that people need to brace for a battle (against the coronavirus) that could be prolonged," Abe said,

At least he’s not saying Joan will be “up and just raring to go by Easter”.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

*saying Japan

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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