COVID-19 Coronavirus: situation in Japan

[Uncle Frank]

 

[thomas]

The weekly updates (11-17 May 2022):

Nationwide infections:

11/05 (Wed)	12/05 (Thu)	13/05 (Fri)	14/05 (Sat)	15/05 (Son)	16/05 (Mon)	17/05 (Tue)
45,957 (+ 19,488)​	41,741 (+ 20,962)​	39,647 (+ 18,019)​	39,416 (+ 89)​	35,008 (- 7,530)​	21,784 (- 6,726)​	36,903 (- 5,257)​

Nationwide deaths:

11/05 (Wed)	12/05 (Thu)	13/05 (Fri)	14/05 (Sat)	15/05 (Son)	16/05 (Mon)	17/05 (Tue)
41 (+ 21)​	32 (+ 13)​	36 (± 0)​	30 (+ 3)​	25 (- 1)​	26 (- 7)​	39 (- 12)​

Nationwide Seriously Ill:

11/05 (Wed)	12/05 (Thu)	13/05 (Fri)	14/05 (Sat)	15/05 (Son)	16/05 (Mon)	17/05 (Tue)
163 (- 11)​	159 (- 7)​	156 (- 14)​	153 (- 12)​	139 (- 20)​	134 (- 29)​	127 (- 31)​

SELECTED PREFECTURES:

Tokyo:

11/05 (Wed)	12/05 (Thu)	13/05 (Fri)	14/05 (Sat)	15/05 (Son)	16/05 (Mon)	17/05 (Tue)
4,764 (+ 1,765)​	4,216 (+ 1,896)​	4,109 (+ 1,428)​	3,799 (- 10)​	3,348 (- 1,363)​	2,377 (- 634)​	3,663 (- 788)​

Osaka:

11/05 (Wed)	12/05 (Thu)	13/05 (Fri)	14/05 (Sat)	15/05 (Son)	16/05 (Mon)	17/05 (Tue)
3,679 (+ 2,134)​	3,290 (+ 2,047)​	3,210 (+ 1,745)​	3,440 (+ 1,065)​	2,576 (- 748)​	944 (-543)​	3,932 (- 308)​

Kanagawa:

11/05 (Wed)	12/05 (Thu)	13/05 (Fri)	14/05 (Sat)	15/05 (Son)	16/05 (Mon)	17/05 (Tue)
2,340 (+ 560)​	1,841 (+ 564)​	2,012 (+ 829)​	2,077 (+ 416)​	1,905 (- 82)​	1,640 (- 22)​	1,887 (- 316)​

Vaccinations as of 17 May 2022:

276,734,893 = 80.9% of population
Third vaccination (booster): 71,481,677 = 56.4% of population

 

[thomas]

The WHO has rejected the application of Covifenz, a COVID-19 vaccine produced by Medicago Inc., a Canadian pharmaceutical company, because of its connection to a tobacco company. Japanese pharmaceutical giant Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corp. (MTPC) holds a 79-per cent stake in Medicago, while Philip Morris International Inc holds the remainder. The WHO has taken a strong stance against smoking and tobacco companies. In Japan, the decision was met with criticism and surprise.

The final phase of a clinical trial in North America and elsewhere showed the vaccine proved 75.3 percent effective in preventing symptomatic infections from the Delta variant of the novel coronavirus. The figure for the Gamma variant was 88.6 percent. Less than 10 percent of test subjects developed a fever of 38 degrees or more following two shots of the vaccine, and no serious side effects were observed. The efficacy of Covifenz against the Omicron variant is currently being tested, MTPC officials said.

Criticism rises in Japan on WHO’s tobacco-related denial of vaccine | The Asahi Shimbun: Breaking News, Japan News and Analysis

 

[johnnyG]

I wonder if it would change things if the vaccine and/or its technology were sold/assigned to another company?

Separately, tho it's still there in the name, and perhaps that is still the majority of its business, hasn't Japan Tobacco (domestically) diversified a little? (The international division/arm is probably all tobacco.) Similarly, phillip morris was a spin off to handle international (non-US) tobacco business, while Altria (the remaining part of the company) is US domestic only--but it has also diversified into beverages (AB-InBev).

 

[thomas]

It's official: masks can come off outside when not chatting.

In a bid to quell public confusion over outdoor mask-wearing, the government released a set of guidelines on mask use Friday, saying that it is acceptable to take face coverings off outside even when standing near another individual — as long as there's no chatting involved.

Japan's latest COVID guidelines: Masks OK to come off outside when not chatting

In a bid to quell public confusion over outdoor mask-wearing, the government has released a set of guidelines on mask use.

www.japantimes.co.jp

And the fourth vaccine shot (second booster) will be offered to residents over 60 years of age and those with underlying medical conditions as of next week.

Japan to start 4th vaccine shots for elderly, at-risk groups from Wed. - The Mainichi

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Japan will begin offering fourth coronavirus vaccine shots next week to the elderly and people with underlying medical conditions, th

mainichi.jp

 

[thomas]

The weekly updates (18-24 May 2022):

Nationwide infections:

18/05 (Wed)	19/05 (Thu)	20/05 (Fri)	21/05 (Sat)	22/05 (Son)	23/05 (Mon)	24/05 (Tue)
42,161 (- 3,796)​	39,642 (- 2,099)​	37,438 (- 2,209)​	35,922 (- 3,494)​	31,457 (- 3,551)​	18,510 (- 3,274)​	32,382 (- 4,521)​

Nationwide deaths:

18/05 (Wed)	19/05 (Thu)	20/05 (Fri)	21/05 (Sat)	22/05 (Son)	23/05 (Mon)	24/05 (Tue)
50 (+ 9)​	36 (+ 4)​	44 (+ 8)​	31 (+ 1)​	18 (- 7)​	31 (+ 5)​	43 (+ 4)​

Nationwide Seriously Ill:

18/05 (Wed)	19/05 (Thu)	20/05 (Fri)	21/05 (Sat)	22/05 (Son)	23/05 (Mon)	24/05 (Tue)
125 (- 38)​	110 (- 49)​	106 (- 50)​	101 (- 52)​	92 (- 47)​	96 (- 38)​	100 (- 27)​

SELECTED PREFECTURES:

Tokyo:

18/05 (Wed)	19/05 (Thu)	20/05 (Fri)	21/05 (Sat)	22/05 (Son)	23/05 (Mon)	24/05 (Tue)
4,355 (- 409)​	4,172 (- 44)​	3,573 (- 536)​	3,464 (- 335)​	3,317 (- 31)​	2,025 (- 352)​	3,271 (- 392)​

Osaka:

18/05 (Wed)	19/05 (Thu)	20/05 (Fri)	21/05 (Sat)	22/05 (Son)	23/05 (Mon)	24/05 (Tue)
3,497 (- 182)​	3,156 (- 134)​	2,991 (- 219)​	3,030 (- 410)​	2,253 (- 323)​	884 (-60)​	3,561 (- 371)​

Kanagawa:

18/05 (Wed)	19/05 (Thu)	20/05 (Fri)	21/05 (Sat)	22/05 (Son)	23/05 (Mon)	24/05 (Tue)
1,928 (- 412)​	1,673 (- 168)​	1,858 (- 154)​	1,816 (- 261)​	1,918 (+ 13)​	1,378 (- 262)​	1,919 (+ 32)​

Hokkaido:

18/05 (Wed)	19/05 (Thu)	20/05 (Fri)	21/05 (Sat)	22/05 (Son)	23/05 (Mon)	24/05 (Tue)
2,677 (- 582)​	2,811 (- 365)​	2,553 (- 481)​	2,240 (- 531)​	2,065 (- 423)​	1,468 (- 553)​	1,369 (- 535)​

Okinawa:

18/05 (Wed)	19/05 (Thu)	20/05 (Fri)	21/05 (Sat)	22/05 (Son)	23/05 (Mon)	24/05 (Tue)
2,560 (- 142)​	2,307 (- 23)​	2,255 (+ 13)​	2,215 (- 249)​	1,750 (- 272)​	662 (- 437)​	1,918 (- 255)​

Vaccinations as of 24 May 2022:

278,763,261 = 81.0% of population
Third vaccination (booster): 73,311,443 = 57.9% of population

 

[thomas]

So I guess this is the main reason people stick to their masks:

"Tokyoites still wearing masks outdoors to avoid sticking out."

I wear a mask on public transportation or when I have to venture to Tokyo (fortunately not that often). I still see many people wearing masks outdoors, even when no one else is around or when jogging or cycling.

"I feel uncomfortable if I don't wear a mask," said an 18-year-old high school student. He said he will continue wearing a mask outdoors during commuting hours because almost everyone around him is doing so. "If more people take them off, I may follow suit," he said.

Tokyoites still wearing masks outdoors to avoid sticking out | The Asahi Shimbun: Breaking News, Japan News and Analysis

 

[thomas]

The weekly updates (25-31 May 2022):

Nationwide infections:

25/05 (Wed)	26/05 (Thu)	27/05 (Fri)	28/05 (Sat)	29/05 (Son)	30/05 (Mon)	31/05 (Tue)
35,190 (- 6,971)​	31,008 (- 8,634)​	27,549 (- 9,889)​	25,759 (- 10,163)​	20,828 (- 10,629)​	12,207 (- 6,303)​	22,122 (- 10,260)​

Nationwide deaths:

25/05 (Wed)	26/05 (Thu)	27/05 (Fri)	28/05 (Sat)	29/05 (Son)	30/05 (Mon)	31/05 (Tue)
43 (- 7)​	42 (+ 6)​	38 (- 6)​	36 (+ 5)​	19 (+ 1)​	24 (- 7)​	39 (- 4)​

Nationwide Seriously Ill:

25/05 (Wed)	26/05 (Thu)	27/05 (Fri)	28/05 (Sat)	29/05 (Son)	30/05 (Mon)	31/05 (Tue)
103 (- 22)​	95 (- 15)​	90 (- 16)​	81 (- 20)​	88 (- 4)​	90 (- 6)​	93 (- 7)​

SELECTED PREFECTURES:

Tokyo:

25/05 (Wed)	26/05 (Thu)	27/05 (Fri)	28/05 (Sat)	29/05 (Son)	30/05 (Mon)	31/05 (Tue)
3,929 (- 426)​	3,391 (- 781)​	2,630 (- 943)​	2,549 (- 915)​	2,194 (- 1,123)​	1,344 (- 681)​	2,362 (- 909)​

Osaka:

25/05 (Wed)	26/05 (Thu)	27/05 (Fri)	28/05 (Sat)	29/05 (Son)	30/05 (Mon)	31/05 (Tue)
2,927 (- 570)​	2,534 (- 622)​	2,210 (- 781)​	2,243 (- 787)​	1,502 (- 751)​	548 (- 336)​	2,314 (- 1,247)​

Kanagawa:

25/05 (Wed)	26/05 (Thu)	27/05 (Fri)	28/05 (Sat)	29/05 (Son)	30/05 (Mon)	31/05 (Tue)
1,707 (- 221)​	1,357 (- 316)​	1,574 (- 284)​	1,468 (- 348)​	1,346 (- 572)​	903 (- 475)​	1,109 (- 810)​

Hokkaido:

25/05 (Wed)	26/05 (Thu)	27/05 (Fri)	28/05 (Sat)	29/05 (Son)	30/05 (Mon)	31/05 (Tue)
2,094 (- 583)​	1,950 (- 861)​	1,624 (- 929)​	1,515 (- 725)​	1,241 (- 824)​	894 (- 574)​	903 (- 466)​

Okinawa:

25/05 (Wed)	26/05 (Thu)	27/05 (Fri)	28/05 (Sat)	29/05 (Son)	30/05 (Mon)	31/05 (Tue)
2,081 (- 479)​	1,603 (- 704)​	1,538 (- 717)​	1,509 (- 706)​	1,173 (- 577)​	466 (- 196)​	1,469 (- 449)​

Vaccinations as of 31 May 2022:

280,463,950 = 81.1% of population
Third vaccination (booster): 74,853,783 = 59.1% of population

 

[thomas]

NHK reported that 14% of people who contracted Covid-19 suffer from aftereffects even after a Year ("long Covid").

The results showed that overall, the number of people who complained of such symptoms continued to fall as time passed. But 13.6 percent of the respondents had at least one type of symptom even a year after they were first diagnosed with COVID-19. The results also showed 9.3 percent complained of declining muscular strength, 6 percent said they had difficulty breathing and 4.9 percent mentioned fatigue. Yokoyama said those who had severe COVID-19 respiratory symptoms appear more likely to suffer from aftereffects. He said it is important to identify factors responsible for lingering aftereffects. Another government team led by Keio University also reported its survey results at the panel meeting. The survey was conducted on more than 1,000 people who had developed mild to severe virus symptoms through February last year. The results showed that a year after receiving their first diagnosis, 12.8 percent of them complained of fatigue and 8.6 percent said they had difficulty breathing. Those who complained of declining muscular strength and impaired concentration each made up 7.5 percent.

Japan: Survey shows 14 percent suffer from aftereffects of COVID-19 | NHK WORLD-JAPAN News

A Japanese government survey has shown that about 14 percent of people who had moderate or serious COVID-19 were suffering from aftereffects even a year later.

www3.nhk.or.jp

 

[thomas]

The weekly updates (1-6 June 2022):

Nationwide infections:

01/06 (Wed)	02/06 (Thu)	03/06 (Fri)	04/06 (Sat)	05/06 (Son)	06/06 (Mon)	07/06 (Tue)
22,768 (- 12,422)​	20,680 (- 10,328)​	19,271 (- 8,278)​	18,252 (- 7,507)​	15,109 (- 5,719)​	9,106 (- 3,101)​	17,039 (- 5,083)​

Nationwide deaths:

01/06 (Wed)	02/06 (Thu)	03/06 (Fri)	04/06 (Sat)	05/06 (Son)	06/06 (Mon)	07/06 (Tue)
36 (- 7)​	24 (- 18)​	32 (- 6)​	23 (- 13)​	16 (- 3)​	24 (± 0)​	26 (- 13)​

Nationwide Seriously Ill:

01/06 (Wed)	02/06 (Thu)	03/06 (Fri)	04/06 (Sat)	05/06 (Son)	06/06 (Mon)	07/06 (Tue)
95 (- 8)​	92 (- 3)​	86 (- 4)​	84 (+ 3)​	77 (- 11)​	75 (- 15)​	76 (- 17)​

SELECTED PREFECTURES:

Tokyo:

01/06 (Wed)	02/06 (Thu)	03/06 (Fri)	04/06 (Sat)	05/06 (Son)	06/06 (Mon)	07/06 (Tue)
2,415 (- 1,514)​	2,335 (- 1,056)​	2,111 (- 519)​	2,071 (- 478)​	1,584 (- 610)​	1,013 (- 331)​	1,800 (- 562)​

Osaka:

01/06 (Wed)	02/06 (Thu)	03/06 (Fri)	04/06 (Sat)	05/06 (Son)	06/06 (Mon)	07/06 (Tue)
1,977 (- 950)​	1,531 (- 1,003)​	1,530 (- 680)​	1,493 (- 750)​	1,153 (- 349)​	461 (- 87)​	1,925 (- 389)​

Kanagawa:

01/06 (Wed)	02/06 (Thu)	03/06 (Fri)	04/06 (Sat)	05/06 (Son)	06/06 (Mon)	07/06 (Tue)
1,131 (- 576)​	824 (- 533)​	1,027 (- 547)​	1,091 (- 377)​	854 (- 492)​	746 (- 157)​	762 (- 347)​

Hokkaido:

01/06 (Wed)	02/06 (Thu)	03/06 (Fri)	04/06 (Sat)	05/06 (Son)	06/06 (Mon)	07/06 (Tue)
1,240 (- 854)​	1,215 (- 735)​	1,038 (- 586)​	899 (- 616)​	910 (- 331)​	649 (- 245​	701 (- 202)​

Okinawa:

01/06 (Wed)	02/06 (Thu)	03/06 (Fri)	04/06 (Sat)	05/06 (Son)	06/06 (Mon)	07/06 (Tue)
1,472 (- 609)​	1,373 (- 230)​	1,326 (- 212)​	1,341 (- 168)​	1,247 (+ 74)​	435 (- 31)​	1,467 (- 2)​

Vaccinations as of 6 June 2022:

281,688,891 = 81.2% of population
Third vaccination (booster): 75,925,274 = 60% of population

 

[thomas]

The weekly updates (8-14 June 2022):

Nationwide infections:

08/06 (Wed)	09/06 (Thu)	10/06 (Fri)	11/06 (Sat)	12/06 (Son)	13/06 (Mon)	14/06 (Tue)
18,416 (- 4,352)​	16,813 (- 3,867)​	15,600 (- 3,671)​	15,351 (- 2,901)​	13,394 (- 1,715)​	7,956 (- 1,150)​	15,331 (- 1,708)​

Nationwide deaths:

08/06 (Wed)	09/06 (Thu)	10/06 (Fri)	11/06 (Sat)	12/06 (Son)	13/06 (Mon)	14/06 (Tue)
21 (- 15)​	23 (- 1)​	21 (- 11)​	15 (- 8)​	9 (- 7)​	21 (- 3)​	29 (+ 3)​

Nationwide Seriously Ill:

08/06 (Wed)	09/06 (Thu)	10/06 (Fri)	11/06 (Sat)	12/06 (Son)	13/06 (Mon)	14/06 (Tue)
79 (- 16)​	77 (- 15)​	77 (- 9)​	69 (- 15)​	66 (- 11)​	61 (- 14)​	61 (- 15)​

SELECTED PREFECTURES:

Tokyo:

08/06 (Wed)	09/06 (Thu)	10/06 (Fri)	11/06 (Sat)	12/06 (Son)	13/06 (Mon)	14/06 (Tue)
1,935 (- 480)​	1,876 (- 459)​	1,600 (- 511)​	1,526 (- 545)​	1,546 (- 38)​	960 (- 53)​	1,528 (- 272)​

Osaka:

08/06 (Wed)	09/06 (Thu)	10/06 (Fri)	11/06 (Sat)	12/06 (Son)	13/06 (Mon)	14/06 (Tue)
1,644 (- 333)​	1,353 (- 178)​	1,192 (- 338)​	1,255 (- 238)​	1,151 (- 2)​	424 (- 37)​	1,590 (- 335)​

Kanagawa:

08/06 (Wed)	09/06 (Thu)	10/06 (Fri)	11/06 (Sat)	12/06 (Son)	13/06 (Mon)	14/06 (Tue)
823 (- 308)​	699 (- 125)​	787 (- 240)​	777 (- 314)​	718 (- 136)​	599 (- 147)​	652 (- 110)​

Hokkaido:

08/06 (Wed)	09/06 (Thu)	10/06 (Fri)	11/06 (Sat)	12/06 (Son)	13/06 (Mon)	14/06 (Tue)
1,221 (- 19)​	992 (- 223)​	942 (- 96)​	872 (- 27)​	812 (- 98)​	536 (- 113)​	621 (- 80)​

Okinawa:

08/06 (Wed)	09/06 (Thu)	10/06 (Fri)	11/06 (Sat)	12/06 (Son)	13/06 (Mon)	14/06 (Tue)
1,557 (+ 85)​	1,353 (- 20)​	1,440 (+ 114)​	1,368 (+ 27)​	1,126 (- 121)​	493 (+ 58)​	1,342 (- 125)​

Vaccinations as of 14 June 2022:

282,676,582 (+ 987,691) = 81.2% of population
Third vaccination (booster): 76,784,547 (+ 859,272) = 60.6% of population

 

[thomas]

The weekly updates (15-21 June 2022):

Nationwide infections:

15/06 (Wed)	16/06 (Thu)	17/06 (Fri)	18/06 (Sat)	19/06 (Son)	20/06 (Mon)	21/06 (Tue)
16,592 (- 1,824)​	15,515 (- 1,298)​	14,709 (- 891)​	14,837 (- 514)​	13,160 (- 234)​	7,800 (- 156)​	15,384 (+ 53)​

Nationwide deaths:

15/06 (Wed)	16/06 (Thu)	17/06 (Fri)	18/06 (Sat)	19/06 (Son)	20/06 (Mon)	21/06 (Tue)
23 (+ 2)​	20 (- 3)​	18 (- 3)​	20 (+ 5)​	10 (+ 1)​	13 (- 8)​	17 (- 12)​

Nationwide Seriously Ill:

15/06 (Wed)	16/06 (Thu)	17/06 (Fri)	18/06 (Sat)	19/06 (Son)	20/06 (Mon)	21/06 (Tue)
53 (- 26)​	44 (- 33)​	40 (- 37)​	39 (- 30)​	41 (- 25)​	41 (- 20)​	34 (- 27)​

SELECTED PREFECTURES:

Tokyo:

15/06 (Wed)	16/06 (Thu)	17/06 (Fri)	18/06 (Sat)	19/06 (Son)	20/06 (Mon)	21/06 (Tue)
2,015 (+ 80)​	1,819 (- 57)​	1,596 (- 4)​	1,681 (+ 155)​	1,622 (+ 76)​	1,076 (+ 116)​	1,963 (+ 435)​

Osaka:

15/06 (Wed)	16/06 (Thu)	17/06 (Fri)	18/06 (Sat)	19/06 (Son)	20/06 (Mon)	21/06 (Tue)
1,320 (- 324)​	1,213 (- 140)​	1,125 (- 67)​	1,255 (± 0)​	883 (- 268)​	394 (- 30)​	1,511 (- 79)​

Kanagawa:

15/06 (Wed)	16/06 (Thu)	17/06 (Fri)	18/06 (Sat)	19/06 (Son)	20/06 (Mon)	21/06 (Tue)
836 (+ 13)​	652 (- 47)​	933 (+ 146)​	895 (+ 118)​	841 (+ 123)​	624 (+ 25)​	815 (+ 163)​

Hokkaido:

15/06 (Wed)	16/06 (Thu)	17/06 (Fri)	18/06 (Sat)	19/06 (Son)	20/06 (Mon)	21/06 (Tue)
965 (- 256)​	902 (- 90)​	795 (- 147)​	692 (- 180)​	703 (- 109)​	434 (- 102)​	473 (- 148)​

Okinawa:

15/06 (Wed)	16/06 (Thu)	17/06 (Fri)	18/06 (Sat)	19/06 (Son)	20/06 (Mon)	21/06 (Tue)
1,414 (- 143)​	1,404 (+ 51)​	1,217 (- 223)​	1,268 (- 100)​	1,012 (- 114)​	422 (- 71)​	1,421 (+ 79)​

Vaccinations as of 20 June 2022:

283,481,208 (+ 804,626) = 81.3% of population
Third vaccination (booster): 77,483,469 (+ 698,922) = 61.2% of population

 

[thomas]

Yesterday, Pfizer applied for Japanese gov't approval of booster shots for children aged 5 to 11. While third vaccine shots are widely administered to adults in Japan, children in that age group are currently only allowed to receive up to two shots.

According to Pfizer's clinical trial data released in April, its booster shots increased the amount of neutralizing antibodies, which curb virus activities, sixfold when administered to children aged 5 to 11 about six months after their second shots. The vaccines were found to be effective for the Omicron variant of the coronavirus and no safety issues were identified, the company said.

Pfizer applies for Japan gov't approval of booster shots for kids - The Mainichi

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- U.S. pharmaceutical giant Pfizer Inc. on Wednesday applied to Japan's health ministry for approval of its COVID-19 booster shots for

mainichi.jp

This must be beyond belief to anyone living outside Japan: the Minister of Health urged the public to remove face masks when they are outdoors, especially during summer when there is an increased risk of heatstroke.

The ministry released guidelines in May on when to wear them and situations when it is better to remove the masks, but the vast majority of people continue to keep them on outdoors. Goto noted that around 40,000 to 50,000 people are rushed by ambulance to hospitals each year with heatstroke, and that some cases are so severe they result in death. He urged people to remove masks when exercising as a number of students were taken to a hospital this year with heatstroke symptoms after they fell ill during outdoor physical activities at school. "We urge people to avoid the excessive heat by using air conditioning (when they are indoors) as well as taking measures to prevent infection from the novel coronavirus by using fans and staying in well ventilated areas," Goto said.

Public urged to remove masks outdoors to avoid heatstroke | The Asahi Shimbun: Breaking News, Japan News and Analysis