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© Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.Suga says healthcare systems remain under severe strain
By MARI YAMAGUCHI TOKYO©2025 GPlusMedia Inc.
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sakurasuki
Same person who did Go To Travel program also international sport event.
Scorpion
Was this included in the "roadmap" that the Gov't is making after lifting the non-Existant SOE measures?
purple_depressed_bacon
Aka. when the going got tough, Suga got gone. Pathetic.
Working remotely is only possible if your company approves it and judging by how packed the trains are each day, I'd say this is largely being ignored.
Let's hope Japan's next PM has more spine when it comes to handling the pandemic though I'm not holding my breath.
factchecker
Instead of caring about people's lives, you only gave a toss about money, Suga. It's a bit late to play the woe is me act.
Cricky
For the third biggest economy (don’t think so) with mandatory payments into a National Health Care system, you would think with the size and number of staff of the Health Ministry somebody would have said 18 months ago….”you know maybe we should get ready?” Totally failing. I’d rather see an over reaction than what we have now. Press opportunities for a photo about practicing giving an injection, then when it counts total confusion. A vaccination centre manned by JSDF staff not really used because of the “rules” then an under 30 yo vax hub overwhelmed. 18 months of knowing seeing what’s obvious and this is the result. Sorry LDP FAIL.
yes the health care system is under strain because of incompetence, experts you sacked told you this 12 months ago.
Numan
@Simian Lane
That means a large number of conservative right and conspiracy theorist would get infected and possibly pass away which is why many people are still dying, and the economy has been stagnant while placing stress on the medical industry and limiting people's lives.
Isn't that happening now?
AgentX
... and so many, many more are not. But you guys have the conch. Well done with tanking the economy...
Aly Rustom
Suga says healthcare systems remain under severe strain
Thanks to HIM and his refusal to postpone the Olympics
Aly Rustom
If that were true the medical system would not be under this much strain
Mark
""He also noted that time-consuming Japanese procedures to approve vaccines and new treatments or secure medical staff were also obstacles that need to be addressed for better crisis management."
The Japanese public knows that, but I doubt if the government does.
The Japanese Government is a Time - Consuming machine, unlike the private sector, and why rush when NO BODY is holding them responsible.
Kyo wa heiwa dayo ne
The eyelids are lockdown and cant see a state of emergency
Michael Machida
Because you did nothing to expand the system like America and other countries did. It's your fault.
bo
Economy is doing great, guess we can all just continue to work, take crowded trains, go to crowded malls and coffee shops until we die or not from this flu .
audioboy77
Yes the government have been utterly useless until now and good riddance to Suga.
But again... absolutely no evidence of cover up or fake numbers, despite the paranoid delusions of many JT frequent posters. If that was the case they would not be extending the state of emergency nor admitting the medical system is still under severe strain despite a significant fall in daily case numbers over the past 2 weeks.
JeffLee
The govt can't do much when all it issues are requests and recommendations, as opposed to orders.
Yeah, right. How about: "He threatened to punish employers that are refusing to allow their workers to work remotely."
That's if you really want the virus to go away.
Antiquesaving
So according to the so-called testing number, we have been seeing a sharp drop in new cases ( and a faster decline in testing) for over 2 weeks but no easing of the hospital and medical situation.
Now why is that? "Asked with a sarcastic tone".
shogun36
so he’s basically running away from adversity instead of attacking it.
Sounds like Japanese leadership, sounds about right.
gaijintraveller
"Economy and Fiscal Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura, who is in charge of COVID-19 measures."
I think that explains a lot.
What is Nishimura's priority, the economy or the health of the nation? I might have been a better idea to put Covid measures in the hands of someone more concerned with the health of the nation than the GDP.
Dukeleto
How many covid-19 hospitals has the LDP government built since the pandemic began at the end of 2019? With the effect of vaccines waning against new variants and booster shots now being required every 6 months at the current count how will that be achieved? The situation has been clear for some time but all they do is dilly-saddle and pull the strings of the masses to do this and that which fewer people are starting to listen to due to COVID fatigue which means more infections. They have spent billions on nonsense solutions such as the infamous Abeno Mask fiasco. How many COVID specific hospitals could have been built and equipped to alleviate the stress on the current healthcare system? Temporarily commandeer private hospitals or wards within them? It’s quite unfathomable the ineptitude of governments in general.
audioboy77
Why is it they would fake the less important stats?
Why is it they would continue to damage the economy with a state of emergency.
Your theories, as usual, make no sense.
The daily cases are as they have been a fraction of the cases, but thats a constant. The wave has peaked, like all the other waves peaked. Why cant you accept that? Why do you enjoy misery?
Cricky
Even if he had a plan a vision, he is only a figure head who does what party faction leaders tell him to do. It’s the system of government at fault not this sad old man.
Gorramcowboy
Said it once, I'll say it again...the system here has ALWAYS been under strain. Lack of healthcare workers, severely aging population and people who use the services for the most inane reasons like colds.
So it'd be nice if the gov't would stop putting it all on covid and making it seem worse than it already was.
smithinjapan
You reap what you sow, Suga.
Sanjinosebleed
Crack it open Suga Chan. The world is moving on from the covid hysteria and so should Japan!
Time to hit the izakaya trail!!!
miss_oikawa
Makes no sense whatsoever. Had 18 months to have done something about it. Covid if anything could only be the straw that broke the camel's back.
starpunk
Passing the yen, ain't we? You screwed up big time, man.
All that money ain't going to save your career or reputation now, Suga.
We have those idiot AM radio and TV junkies, Trumpian disciplea and Faux News sheeple listening to the crap as well. They're out there in their 'freedumb' rallies and harassing medical college students. At least TWO AM mayhem radio anti-vaxx gurus recently got CoVid and died but these chumps just don't geddit. And you have these religious fanatics claiming that the virus was sent by God to rub out 'queers', 'infedels', 'Commies' and whatever. Never mind some state governors. CoVidiots!
Antiquesaving
audioboy77Today 09:15 am JST
Not a theory but a fact, unlike every other country where cases drop before testing drops, in Japan it is the opposite, testing drops first then cases drop, Japan must be really unique for that to make sense.
As for less important stats, what do you mean! Deaths? Well without testing and autopsies do we know the numbers.
Do you mean hospitalisation?
Well they are trying hard by making as many as possible not eligible for in hospital treatment.
Do you mean the number of people in hospital and ICU well that is one thing they cannot block as people dying on the streets is not good optics and most doctors even in Japan take their obligations seriously and have to treat the severely ill and that the government cannot block or change, though it has tried including changing the criteria of what the Tokyo government considers a severe case and by not counting any covid patient not in a designated covid ward.
kyushubill
The biggest reason for the hospital strain is that Japan already had a shortage of nurses especially in the ICUs. Many of the foreign nurses were laid off last year from April to July when the bulk of hospitals stopped nonCovid treatment and elective surgeries. Those nurses went back home to Taiwan, Vietnam, the Philippines, and Indonesia. They couldn't afford to stay over 3 months with no pay. Now they are sorely missed.
Not enough nurses and you have a mess. When the COVID dedicated beds fill the public hospitals simply shut accepoting any new patients.
Hospitals that are private have continually refused to help treat COVID patients to ease the strain on public hospitals.
Antiquesaving
The irony of these facts are lost on most.
28% of the population is over 65 that means 25% if the population.
That leaves 24% fully vaccinated, we know that private companies and universities got an allotment of 50 million doses enough for 25 million people and somehow managed at lightning speed to not only secure the needed medical staff but be up and running in just a few weeks and have completely used up their vaccine allotment.
That is 19% of the population done by private companies and universities.
So 25% are elderly, 19% are large corporation employees/some family and some university students.
That 44% out of the 49% leaving a sad 5% of the population fully vaccinated.
And to top it all off it took the government 3 times longer to vaccinate the elderly (25% of the population done) than it took the large private corporations and universities to vaccinate 19% of the population, which doesn't say anything good about the organisational skills of the different levels of the government here.
Honestly had is not been for their companies vaccine programs my 2 adult children would still be waiting to get vaccinated and in our Tokyo ward that means late November at the earliest.
My sister in law in Saitama works for a small company so no vaccine program, just under 40 years old her earliest appointment was late October but that was cancelled and now if nothing changes it has been pushed to late November.
The incompetence of all levels of the j-Gov is worthy of a gold medal.
Nadrew
What happened to the daily reporting of Covid?
Jonathan Prin
Total fail. Suga did most opposite of what needed to be done and said.
I hope no harsh variant to emerge because it would really become a very serious situation.
The reason being there is no real tretment so far.
fxgai
Some people may not like to hear it, but I suspect the AP has this correct, at this point.
It is weird to me that some in Japan would seek similar authoritarian powers over the minions for the LDP politicians, when other developed countries had higher death numbers.
The Japanese approach seems to have done a pretty good job at “flattening the curve”, and the bigger failure was rather the slow distribution of vaccines by the central government. That is the problem that should be addressed in Japan’s case.
How to get faster distribution of vaccines than by a central government planning approach? Hmmm
Antiquesaving
JohnToday 11:37 am JST
My friend's "Hospital" ( more of a clinic that has 10 beds usually for overnight stay for things like IV hydration for fever in his mostly elderly patients), has had all 10 of his beds full 24/7 for months.
All covid all mostly over 50, live alone and have been refused hospitalisation in "officially designated" covid hospital wards.
These people are not counted until they get so sick he then has to try and get them into a hospital with the needed facilities.
He is not equipped or staffed to handle this but feels he has no choice, he hasn't been home for more than 3 months other than to get his mail, pick up some clothes and return to his little hospital where he is the only doctor but his retired father now comes to give a hand.
He tells me he knows many more tiny hospitals doing the same.
Antiquesaving
zichiToday 12:02 pm JST
That is the rub.
If and only if you are accepted through the "advisory" system and admitted to hospital as a recognised covid patient as far as I have been told the government picks up the full tab in Japan.
But if you do not qualify under this system and find a hospital willing to take you outside the government controlled admission system, then you have to pay the 30% fee which can end up being quite a bill.
But once someone gets really sick these hospitals will quickly get the patient transferred to an "official" covid hospital based on the fact it is now a severe case.
It is basically a full blown mess.
TARA TAN KITAOKA
Prime-minister Suga gambatte.
audioboy77
@Antiquesaving
Downvoting plain facts. Thats sums it up really doesnt it.
Antiquesaving
audioboy77Today 12:13 pm JST
Challenge.
Look at the numbers, the days and try doing the math not just take what is posted.
I have in multiple occasions shown how the infection rate has no mathematical or statistical base in reality, as Japan and Tokyo in particular compare a single days cases with a week if tests.
Just so you know the rest of the world uses the average of 7 days testing and 7 days cases to get infection rates.
snowymountainhell
“Gambatte.” ?? - More confusing @TATAMAETOKAHONNE fair-weather support or policies condemnation when just this July 26?
Curious behavior.
ian
Lol so what.
Totally irrelevant metrics.
The only number that counts is the number of tests.
Some of the most developed countries have hundreds of thousands of dead but it's ok because they have done millions of tests.
Alexandre T. Ishii
Well, no lockdown happened like other developed countries thanks the citizens morality. So far so good 'till now. Less panic and more patience in this uncertain more contagious new variants. Difficult to anyone the best resolution...
Strangerland
I'd say the number the number that matters is the number of dead. And if there are so many dead, where have the Japanese hidden the numbers? They must be disguised as something other than covid, so where is the increase in other mortalities compared to previous years? Or in other words, where have they hidden the bodies?
Grandp Lightfoot
A lot of comment, blame and politics, nothing on solutions! What would be most helpful at this time is for people and government to do what is most needed: Mask up, stay home, support the needs of our medical experts, health care providers, first responders, etc. When reviewing the devastation's that Japan and the Japanese people has suffered over the past few years, Japan and it's people have the well and ability to get through this pandemic!!
Beto Ramirez
The country is strained because of this dope.
justasking
Dear Leader, tell us what we don't already know. Useless dinosaur.
justasking
The fact that dead people don't get tested for COVID?
John Noun
Oh, this tiresome line, still. It isn't really true
Kyakusenbi_Arimasu
No way no strain.
The 7 weeks of Olympics proved that when someone got sick they got hospital treatment immediately, well not Japanese nationals that is, but the Olympian family. Japanese babies and others died, but they stayed at home and did the Gaman so the Olympiad family could take their beds. Japanese are so kind. Suga is awesome.
Kyo wa heiwa dayo ne
Whatever suga says is not worth listening to anymore anyway.
Kyo wa heiwa dayo ne
Severe strain like his eyelids got narcolepsy