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COVID-19 Coronavirus: situation in Japan

thomas said:
This explains everything.
Click to expand...

That's cute. Now let's see it for いっぱい、つづき、and ぶっとばす... I suspect that tsu and geminate consonants involve a fair amount of air pressure and accompanying droplets.

thomas said:
Though Mr Aso has a different theory.
Click to expand...

I don't quite understand why everyone is mocking this theory so thoroughly. I mean, okay, it does sound a bit like a smug bit of cultural superiority, but on the other hand, to people really think that being a culture that already embraced mask wearing had no effect? Do people not believe the prevailing theory that widespread mask wearing has an effect on transmission rates?

I can assure you that over here, mask-wearing was essentially non-existent prior to COVID-19 and the idea still is getting.... let's say, 'a mixed reception'.
 

It's probably not so much his theory that's being mocked, but his subtle hints at superiority as well as the credibility of the messenger and his never-ending list of past gaffes. Of course, social customs such as the greater acceptance of mask-wearing do play a role, but so does the low number of tests and, more importantly, health-related factors such as the lower prevalence of obesity and other underlying conditions.
 
SomeCallMeChris said:
That's cute. Now let's see it for いっぱい、つづき、and ぶっとばす... I suspect that tsu and geminate consonants involve a fair amount of air pressure and accompanying droplets.
Click to expand...
You need to watch some of the responses which are funny. Makes you wonder how many takes they had to take to get that girl with the proper reaction to the English phrase.

I think the culture is a big part of it. I also have a feeling there's something going on with the weather or climate. Humidity or heat.
In the U.S. the warmer states that are not taking it seriously are not getting hit nearly as hard you'd expect.
But I also feel the lower testing is pushing the numbers artificially low too.
 
Numbers, that is all we hear about. Well, this month, soon I'll be going to the hospital (university hospital) and talk to the doctor also about his concern for the virus this summer. We now know that in Fukuoka, new cases are being reported and I always said, Fukuoka will be just like Tokyo.
 
Here we go again, and again it's Tokyo's "yoru no machi" (夜の街): 47 new infections today, at least 18 of which can be traced back to Kabukicho host clubs.



東京都 47人感染 新宿“夜の街”集団検査18人含む 新型コロナ | NHKニュース

【NHK】東京都は14日、都内で新たに47人が新型コロナウイルスに感染していることが確認されたと発表しました。このうち18人は、集…
www3.nhk.or.jp

Edit: ... can be traced back to ONE Kabukicho host club.
 
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I thought they were a bit premature lifting that alert.
 
Lothor said:
I thought they were a bit premature lifting that alert.
Click to expand...

I concur, at least as far as high-risk places such as karaoke bars and night clubs are concerned.

It seems the government has reacted quickly last night and implemented new guidelines for nightlife businesses:

Guidelines for Japan's nightlife businesses unveiled to stem virus spread

Operators of nightlife establishments will have to keep a record of their customers' names and enforce social distancing rules as part of the measures.
www.japantimes.co.jp


Of course, these are just guidelines that can't be enforced. Also, I wonder how many patrons will readily cooperate and surrender their names and particulars?
 
A significant modification of the guidelines for re-entry into Japan, which should make it easier for permanent residents and a wide range of other visa holders to travel abroad for emergencies or urgent family matters. We will have to wait to hear first-hand accounts of how this works in practice (or indeed, if it works at all). But it seems to be good news.

Japanese immigration authorities announce conditions for re-entry of foreign residents

Immigration authorities quietly published criteria that will allow some foreign residents to re-enter Japan despite a coronavirus-induced entry ban covering 111 countries.
www.japantimes.co.jp
 
Another 48 new cases in Tokyo today:

Article expired

News on Japan, Business News, Opinion, Sports, Entertainment and More
www.japantimes.co.jp

The increased number of cases can be attributed to group examinations conducted especially for host club employees and other 'entertainers' in the Shinjuku area.
 
Let's hope that they continue this policy of testing asymptomatic people rather than follow the thinking of Taro Aso, who sees a low number of cases as evidence of a country's cultural superiority.
 
The clubs should be required to post a sign saying " enter at your own risk". I hate to see businesses suffer, but this stuff is real. China now just closed its schools in Beijing due to a surge of the virus.
 
Japan has finally lifted all domestic travel restrictions. The last weekend saw a sharp increase in train and car traffic, as a lot of attractions and venues opened last Saturday.

Freedom of travel restored across Japan as coronavirus fears ease

Friday's opening up of the prefectures paves the way for a recovery in tourism as the government seeks to revitalize the struggling sector.
www.japantimes.co.jp

Meanwhile, the number of new COVID-19 infections in Tokyo has been surpassing 30 for the fourth consecutive day.

Tokyo reports 35 COVID-19 cases, exceeding 30 for fourth straight day

The single day number of infections continues to trend relatively high as Japan wrapped up the first weekend since restrictions on cross-prefectural travel were completely lifted Friday.
www.japantimes.co.jp
 
I am overall pretty thrilled with Japan's COVID response. Not the government exactly, but just the people not being excessively stupid like in so many places. The lockdown is over, and people are still maintaining social distancing and wearing masks. It could be better of course, but you were never going to get 100% common sense.

On the government side, the amount of money they gave was, in my case, over what I needed, but that money is all going back into the country, so it's not being wasted. I emptied my savings by the end of May. My income from March to May was about 40% of what I was accustomed to, and realistically will be down a bit an average for the next six months. So the money sent per person for my family, plus the payment I received as an independent business kept things stable, and I'm not worried about making home payments for this year.

i have lots of issues with the government, but they definitely are keeping my household afloat in this turbulent time.
 
I'm almost certain there's a connection between COVID-19 and heat/humidity/UV.

We've been 50+ days without an infection.

I just hope the government is preparing in the case that our "second wave" hits during the colder months and not in a hotter February like in 2020.

I don't have temp data for Okinawa, but this has been one of the warmest winters. I remember, not too long ago, it snowed (visible on like an 8th story balcony), but melted prior to touchdown. It also hit temps of 13°C but feeling like 8-10° with a wicked ocean/sea windchill that'd blister lips in seconds. If that comes around in late 2020 to March of 2021, we could be hit hard and see another Olympics postponement, provided no cure or treatment by then.
 
okinawaholic said:
I'm almost certain there's a connection between COVID-19 and heat/humidity/UV.
Click to expand...

If that was true we should see decreasing numbers of new infections during and after the rainy season. Currently, Tokyo has been registering 30+ daily cases. Then again, it is hard to establish any trends as PCR tests are still random and sporadic.
 
I don't think there's a strong connection either. The virus seems to be able to thrive worldwide in a wide variety of climates and seasons.
 
Apparently an "office cluster". They did not mention any details, but I remember reading about a temp staff office somewhere on Twitter. I guess we'll see more of those.

Office cluster pushes Tokyo coronavirus cases to 6-week high of 55

The daily number of new coronavirus cases in Tokyo climbed to 55 on Wednesday, Governor Yuriko Koike said, the highest tally in six weeks after a cluster of infections was found at an unnamed office in the Japanese capital. The metropolis, with a population of 14 million, has sought to…
japantoday.com
 
okinawaholic said:
I'm almost certain there's a connection between COVID-19 and heat/humidity/UV.

We've been 50+ days without an infection.
Click to expand...
I agree, I think it's going to be found to be a significant factor. There's no other way to explain the less hard hit southern U.S. as compared to the midwest & northeast given how less seriously they have taken this crisis. But heat/humidity alone doesn't eliminate stupid. So now we are seeing some spikes in these warmer states.
 
thomas said:
If that was true we should see decreasing numbers of new infections during and after the rainy season. Currently, Tokyo has been registering 30+ daily cases. Then again, it is hard to establish any trends as PCR tests are still random and sporadic.
Click to expand...
How is Okinawa so different then? Everything is open but we're going on 2 months without an infection, unlike areas in Mainland.
 
okinawaholic said:
How is Okinawa so different then? Everything is open but we're going on 2 months without an infection, unlike areas in Mainland.
Click to expand...
Plus you weren't affected during the first wave that hit Hokkaido. Even though they had the snow festival, I'm sure there were Chinese tourists in Okinawa during that time as well.
 
mdchachi said:
Plus you weren't affected during the first wave that hit Hokkaido. Even though they had the snow festival, I'm sure there were Chinese tourists in Okinawa during that time as well.
Click to expand...
We have the highest, correct me if I'm wrong, of all prefectures at 10 million a year (pre-). Chinese were coming in flocks to buy out N95 in Dec-Jan when nobody really knew what was going on... boxes upon boxes of like 50ct.
 
I'm not convinced about the heat-humidity being a major factor preventing the spread. We're in the middle of summer in the northern hemisphere in terms of UV, it being close to June 21, yet there are plenty of hot countries such as India where the virus is spreading rapidly. For once, I'm in agreement with Shinzo Abe on this!
 
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