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We cannot respond to the Omicron variant using standards that we used for the Delta variant. If we cannot be certain of the characteristics of the Omicron variant, our measures will become ineffective. We need to pay close attention to the trend of the number of severe symptom patients and the number of hospital beds occupied.

11 Comments

A Tokyo metropolitan government official on why the metropolitan government remains reluctant to tighten restrictions on bars and restaurants to combat the surge in infections of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus.

© Asahi Shimbun

©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.

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Actually, seems like they're completely using the same playbook: do nothing but talk and hope it goes away.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

That is indeed a very sensible approach, but why doesn't it apply to vaccines? As long as the vaccine is uncharacterized act with caution. The irrational approach is just to assume things are fine and the vaccines not dangerous.

The answer is of course obvious for anybody that can use common sense, the options are not risks from vaccines against zero risks whatsoever but between small well studied risks from a vaccine and much more likely and important risks from the disease the vaccine prevents.

"act with caution" in that context means preventing the disease, letting people be infected and get the much more important risks associated with it is the actually irrational choice.

For young healthy people, the effects of Omicron are likely milder than those of the vaccines

That is false and dangerous disinformation according to sources you have presented as reliable, such as the health care professionals on South Africa or John L. Campbell, that say even Omicron represents more risk than any of the vaccines approved. This means your own sources disprove what you wrote.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

This is the rational approach, as long as the variant is uncharacterized act with caution, so if the data indicates imminent danger to public health then appropiate measures can be taken opportunely, and if the data indicates the risk is reduced then measures can be reduced or even eliminated. The irrational approach is just to assume things are fine and the variant not dangerous.

That is indeed a very sensible approach, but why doesn't it apply to vaccines? As long as the vaccine is uncharacterized act with caution. The irrational approach is just to assume things are fine and the vaccines not dangerous.

For young healthy people, the effects of Omicron are likely milder than those of the vaccines, while likely providing stronger and longer lived immunity. At this point the government should just get out of the way.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

Stop worrying about case numbers

look at how many people here are constantly blabbing on about the number of infected, the number of tests, the number of each variant.

these people have been worrying everyday for two years

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Blah blah blah

-5 ( +2 / -7 )

This is the rational approach, as long as the variant is uncharacterized act with caution, so if the data indicates imminent danger to public health then appropiate measures can be taken opportunely, and if the data indicates the risk is reduced then measures can be reduced or even eliminated. The irrational approach is just to assume things are fine and the variant not dangerous.

0 ( +4 / -4 )

This is sensible. Too many governments have responded to previous variants.

Stop worrying about case numbers and focus on the numbers of seriously ill against numbers from past flu epidemics and available capacity. The faster a virus spreads, the sooner it goes.

5 ( +6 / -1 )

A Tokyo metropolitan government official on why the metropolitan government remains reluctant to tighten restrictions on bars and restaurants to combat the surge in infections of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus.

If they are not willing to close bars and restaurants and push more people to WFH and students to SFH then keeping the borders closed is also USELESS since Omicron is here and spreading and the officials don't care.

Therefore, the closing of the borders is nothing more than an excuse to pursue a RACIST and XENOPHOBIC agenda under the guise of public health. Disgusting.

-2 ( +3 / -5 )

@markx

obviously you’ll be getting paid your normal salary during any state of emergency - it’s easy to say when your income isn’t affected

4 ( +6 / -2 )

So in other words, this official is saying the same thing as the British, "Omicron is here, it is not as deadly as Delta and we have to learn to live with it. Also the economy means more than your lives!" Ok, so now we are clear!

-4 ( +3 / -7 )

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