Rob comments

@ian

Unfortunate that many of those who really want to come visit Japan , those who are here every day doggedly awaiting developments, don't want to wear masks, they may have to wait a long while before mask requests are dispensed with

I don't think the mask wearing is the issue here. People don't want to travel to Japan right now because they're forced to participate in prison tours with absolutely no freedom at all.

^ Let's call it* for what it is.

Let's call of for what it is.

This is discrimination at best and racism at worst.

@Reckless

Wow! Okinawa is really letting it rip!

The whole country has been letting it rip for months, we just don't see the reality due to low testing. That being said, the relatively high numbers are not unusual of the Omicron variant and it's sub-variants, and we should not be overly concerned. Africa's been through it, Europe's been through it, North America's been through it, the rest of the world's been through it. It's Japan's time to realise that Covid in some form is here to stay, and the sooner they get back to pre-2019 living the better things will be.

@Simon

sadly you'll be faced with new generation of anxious, fearful and isolationist kids who will be your future politicians...

You say that like the current crop in the LDP are NOT fearful and isolationist. They're so behind the times in their Covid response compared to the rest of the world it's not funny.

With week-on-week cases continuing to decline and relaxed mask guidance being discussed, hopefully the summer of 2022 is the beginning of the end of the pandemic as we know it.

No, Steven, Japan is not open for Tourism.

@Rainman

Such a shame to see so many down-votes. Scary to think how many out there want Japan to remain a global pariah when it comes to how it views the virus.

On the XE variant...

“To make it a simple answer: if you’re vaccinated and otherwise healthy, you shouldn’t worry about it,” says Dr. Andrew Badley, a professor of infectious disease at the Mayo Clinic

@Seth

Thats way too many when new variants keeps popping up

Two things. First, these "new" variants are either versions of Omicron or recombinations of variants we already know about - variants the majority of countries are dealing with without issues.

Second, the daily case rate in Japan (that's CASES only, real infection numbers are likely triple these figures) is around 40,000-50,000 a day. Compare those DAILY numbers with 30,000 people over the space of several WEEKS. And on top of all of that, people entering Japan currently are the least likely to be carrying the virus due to the strict testing enforced both before and after arrival. These are some of the safest people in the country you could bump into.

There is absolutely no excuse for the Japanese Government's behaviour re: border restrictions in the current environment.

Sadly the fear associated with case numbers continues to place Japan in the dark ages.

Japan needs to realise these sorts of numbers are about as good as it's going to get for the foreseeable future. Unlike China, they're not pursuing a zero Covid policy, so at this stage I'm not sure why they're continuing with things like border restrictions - the harshest in the G7.

The borders are already open

If the borders were open I'd be able to enter to see my partner of 5 years. So no, the borders are not open.

The fact I can enter Hong Kong but not Japan is an embarrassment.

Open the border already.

Covid's here to stay and, thankfully, on a case-by-case basis not as deadly as it once was.

Tokyo's numbers - due to the way testing is conducted - are going to hover around 5,000-20,000 for the next few months. If Japan is hoping for a significant reduction, say, cases being maintained around 2000-3000 a day before easing border restrictions, then sadly foreigners will continue to be locked out well into the second half of this year.

That is of course unless they change the health directions to treat Covid as endemic, which common sense tells you they should. Sadly we know that the LDP is devoid of common sense.

It seems from some anecdotal murmuring that tourists - both real and those forced into that category despite having strong ties to the country - will be allowed back sometime in the summer. Why they can't give a date to give people stuck outside Japan some certainty is beyond me. Unnecessarily cruel is all it is.

@Steven Mccarthy

The level to which you continually catastrophize covid is beyond belief. I'm genuinely sorry if it stems from you or a loved one suffering during the pandemic, but seriously, despite high case numbers, there's no denying the severity of the disease is not what it once was. Things, albeit gradually, are returning to normal. You'd do your mental health a big favour by trying your best to have a positive outlook on the situation.

Continuing to trend down. Quasi-measures coming off next week. All signs point to the resumption of a full reopening of the border by summer.

If this decision is delayed beyond June or July, and there is no new catastrophic variant in the works, Japan's discrimination towards foreigners will be on display clearer than ever. The scientific argument doesn't hold water any longer. The pressure needs to be put on.

Snail's pace.

Tracking nicely. If the country isn't open to world by summer the LDP decision-makers need their heads examined.

North Korea is clearly showing that it will not allow any invasions -the US is taking note?

Who the hell wants to invade North Korea?

Once the quasi-SoE ends it's time to open to the world again. Covid doesn't check your passport. Everyone's equal when it comes to catching the virus.

@klausdorth

Especially worrisome the high amount of children!

No-one likes the idea of children testing positive to any virus, but I wouldn't have thought it was especially worrisome for that age group. It would however be especially worrisome if there was a high amount of elderly infected.

Case numbers will fluctuate, but the trend is down. There will also likely be periods throughout the next few months where there are rises, but not extraordinary peaks like in previous waves. This is what a virus in an endemic phase looks like.

Also, case numbers are one thing, but If hospitalisations and deaths are becoming lower and lower, this is the main metric to focus on.

I know these are Sunday's numbers, but the trend is well and truly heading in the right direction.

With Japan, the reported cases will never give you a true reflection of the number of people infected. If you want to know where we are in the current wave, best to keep an eye on hospitalisations and deaths.

Japan initially implemented the entry ban in late November to keep the Omicron variant of the coronavirus at bay.

This is false. Why it is repeatedly presented this way by Kyodo God only knows.

Japan implemented the entry ban in early 2020, with a brief reprieve in November 2021, before reverting back to restrictions that same month.

^ That's how it should read.

At this point, they must not be worried about foreigners bringing in Omicron or Delta, but a new variant

Why would they be worried about something that doesn't exist?

@as_the_crow_flies

they are worried because it does exist

If you're referring to the BA.2 sub-variant, for all intents and purposes it's still Omicron.

China could eventually co-exist with COVID, says top scientist

Probably sooner than Japan at the current pace.

@Nobnaga

i hope in the coming months that they will open the whole country for everyone to travel

That makes to much sense, no naturally the JGov will throw such an idea in the bin.

@Antiquesaving

"But I am worried about whether the easing would cause a resurgence of the infections," he said.

As if all the others ( read as Gaijin) who go through the same procedures as he did are more likely to "bring in" the virus.

Sadly that's still the attitude of many Japanese.