14 July 2021 (Wednesday) – Coronavirus Digest from Japanese Morning TV News Part 1 (of maybe 2): Headlines and (yesterday’s) numbers
There will be a substantial Part 02 on Olympic stuff later today.
See photo captions for stories.
Photo 01a
It seems that there was no love for the Johnny Mathis/Deniece Williams classic “Too much too little too late” yesterday.
So I will go *slightly* more recent today:
(Wake me up) wake me up inside
(I can’t wake up) wake me up inside
(Save me) call my name and save me from the dark
Photo 01b
Japan covid-related topics from NHK’s 7am news bulletin today:
– Infections on the increase with the Olympics just around the corner
– [Nishimura] withdraws [plan to] request [financial institutions] to stop dealing with establishments serving alcohol [in violation of the SofE request to refrain from doing so]
– How’s the Olympic “bubble” working out in practice?
– Tokyo Olympic volunteer goods [being sold] on the net
– US to send First Lady Dr. Jill Biden to the Olympic opening cermony
Fun stuff not featured in the news can be found in the comments.
https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20210713/p2g/00m/0sp/048000c
Photo 02
[Taken from the NHK website]
2386 cases confirmed yesterday
[up vs. 1670 for the same day last week. FYI: 1381 for the same day two weeks ago.
[July 14 2386 Excitement over the possible sighting of the first polar ice in 250 years turns to disappointment when it turns out to be simply a mass dumping of Styrofoam by shady waste disposal pirates]
47 out of 47 prefectures reported cases yesterday. [#UnitedbyEmotion]
No new daily prefectural records appear to have been set.
Tokyo was 830.
[up vs. 593 for the same day last week]
Osaka at 225
[vs. 136 for the same day last week]
Joining Tokyo and Osaka in triple figures were Tokyo’s neighbors:
Kanagawa 308
Chiba 180
Saitama 179
The number of positives at immigration testing was 9
Photo 03
[Taken from the NHK website]
18 deaths confirmed yesterday, for a total of 14991.
The total of current active serious cases stands at 424, down 8 on the previous day (where it was up 7).
Total recorded cases at 825185.
[This triggers my 25k increments thing.
It has taken 13 days to go from 800k (July 01) to 825k (July 14)
It took 17 days to go from 775k (June 14) to 800k (July 01)
It took 12 days to go from 750k (June 02) to 775k (June 14)
It took 7 days to go from 725k (May 26) to 750k (June 02)
It took 6 days to go from 700k (May 20) to 725k (May 26).
It took 5.5 days to go from 675k (May 15 was 673k, May 16 was 680k) to 700k (May 20).
It took approx. 7.5 days from 650k (May 08) to 675k (May 15 was 673k, May 16 was 680k)
It took 5 days to go from 625k (May 03) to 650k (May 08).
Prior to that: 5, 5, 5, 6, 7, 9, 15, 24, 16, 8, 6, 5, 3
Recovered cases at 788790 (up around 1500 on the previous day).
[Simon uses calculator perfunctorily in awkward silence.]
Total active cases are at 21404 (up around 800 on the previous day).
Percentage of active cases as a percentage of the grand total is 2.59%, rising slightly
Photo 04
Here is the breakdown for Kansai from the regional bulletin.
357 cases for the region.
Osaka over 200 for the first time since July 10.
Hyogo’s 80 is a slightly concerning comeback.
3 deaths reported.
Photo 05
Tokyo’s 830 is 237 cases up on the same day last week and their 24th straight day of being higher than the corresponding day of the previous week]
LAR: 830 new cases reported in Tokyo on 7/13… that’s a 40% increase over last Tuesday; 74.4% higher than the week before last, and a 31.3% increase in the rolling 7 day average in one week. Check out the numbers for the last two months here…
Photo 06
In fact, all of Tokyo+3’s figures are up vs. the corresponding day of the previous week
Photo 07
Tokyo bod says there is the distinct possible that Tokyo daily cases will top 1000 sometime this week.
[My money is on today…]
JB: You win, Simon Yates
Photo 08
Tokyo says it confirmed 178 cases of the L452R variant (first confirmed in India). [178 out of 622 samples tested.]
This is the highest number announced for a single day so far.
Photo 09
Yesterday marked 10 days to the opening of the Olympics.
The stuff from the NHK news in English in the comments covers different stuff to what I will be covering in Part 02 so maybe give it a watch.
Photo 10
Tokyo Doctor Association guy, who usually goes for apocalyptic announcements, was remarkably sanguine: “The number of infected people per day is on the rise, and that we are seeing movement in the direction of a fifth wave.”
Photo 11
[If we control the flow of people and ensure the rise in infections and pressure on the medical system doesn’t occur…] “Perhaps we can make the Olympics truly a victory over corona…”
SC: Osaki is one of the good guys — I think he’s trying here to warn about the risks of *not* controlling the flow of people etc. rather than actually suggesting that the Olympics could really be some great “victory over corona”.
Photo 12
“…I want us to aim for a ‘Stay Home Olympics’”
Photo 13
Meanwhile, there has been political uproar regarding a proposal by Covid Tsar/economic revival minister Nishimura to request financial institutions to stop dealing with bars and restaurants who do not comply with the government’s SofE request not to serve alcohol.
Photo 14
[Considerng the financial struggles these places have already experienced, asking the banks to de facto blackmail them by withholding loans, etc. was considering an absolute kick in the balls and] caused fury not just from the industry and opposition parties but also from within the ruling party.
Photo 15
The government withdrew the proposal just a day after floating it.
SC: Suga was on the news this morning, confirming that the proposal had been withdrawn.
When asked about the content of the [withdrawn] proposal, he said he didn’t actually know the details of *what* was proposed and withdrawn, but confirmed that it was withdrawn, whatever “it” was.
This prompted a loud snort of laughter and head-shaking from my elder son, incidentally.
Photo 16
Nishimura says he is sorry for causing consternation…
Photo 17
…and is “reflecting” on his error of judgement.
[“Hansei” is a culturally fraught phrase. It does mean to be sorry, but stops short of the word “apology.” It is the equivalent of being sent to your room to think about what you did. It is often the best the politicians can do when talking about Japan’s wartime actions.]
Photo 18
[In damage control mode] the government says that it is hurrying to introduce a system where it can pay cooperation money to bars and restaurants up front.
And is discussing way to support alcohol-selling businesses.
Photo 19
[Regional thing now]
JR West has announced a plan to cut 1% of its services (about 130 trains) from its timetable in the October schedule change, and are considering even further reductions for the timetable next spring.
Photo 20
The Kansai area trade union federation has asked that JR West fully explain the changes to each local authority ahead of time, and that where they reduce services they will take care to minimize the impact on people’s commutes to work or school.
Photo 21
They also requested that JR West reinstate their full timetable quickly once covid19 has been kicked to the curb.