20200703 (Friday) Coronavirus Digest from Japanese Morning TV News Part 1 (of probably 1): Main News
See photo captions for stories.
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Today’s Japan Covid-related NHK morning news topics:
– Tokyo tops 100 new cases for the first time in two months
– Preventing secondary infections with intensive testing [i literally don’t think they mentioned what the testing situation is like though]
– The contract tracing app has been fixed [apparently it is back online today]
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The “100 in Tokyo” focus made me not notice till I wrote this that we are at nearly 200 for the country yesterday.
Total cases topped 19000.
194 new cases yesterday.
107 in Tokyo
11 in Kanagawa, 11 in Chiba, 2 in Tochigi, 19 in Saitama, 2 in Ibaraki
8 in Hokkaido.
4 in Fukuoka.
9 in Kagoshima
3 in Gifu, 1 in Toyama
8 in Osaka
3 in Kyoto, 1 in Hyogo, 2 in Okayama and 1 in Tottori
Another 2 in quarantine after coming back from overseas.
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A whopping 107 new cases reported yesterday. The most for two months, since May 2 right in the middle of the SofE (but at a point as the curve was flattening).
[They also said it was the most cases since the end of the SofE too, but that statement seems pretty redundant.]
JT: Does anyone know if more tests are being conducted. if testing numbers remain the same and there is this clear increase… uh oh!
SNC: There’s now a daily number of tests listed on the wikipedia site. Only as accurate as the information given. Lists about 5,000-6,000 tests per day in Japan, a fraction of what other countries are doing.
https://news.google.com/covid19/map?hl=en-US&mid=/m/03_3d&gl=US&ceid=US:en
SY: The Asian Times said they had ramped capacity up from 20,000 to 30,000 but it seems that testing hasn’t gone over 8000 per day actual
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MF: The testing numbers are posted on the Tokyo website (https://stopcovid19.metro.tokyo.lg.jp/) they have dramatically gone up since the spring, but they have stayed about the same for the past few weeks.
MBC: Seems now we are around 2000 people tested a day in Tokyo. Basically, it’s what Germany does every 7 minutes…
EH: Yeah, Tokyo has been doing between 1800 and 2300 tests a day since early June, so no remarkable increase in testing. To clarify Madjid’s comment above, that’s tests done, NOT people tested. In Japan, because the PCR test is not awfully reliable, people are often tested 2 or 3 times. Therefore 2000 tests a day is AT MOST 2000 people, but more likely between 700-1000 people.
MZ: I suggest taking a look at the table showing positivity rates. It basically includes all the important information – the number of people newly tested on any given day, the number of positive test results based on the day the result was available (not to be confused with the day the result is publicly announced) and then the positivity rate calculated by moving average to smooth out the timing discrepancy.
The number of tested individuals has increased somewhat compared to a month ago. I think it reflects the newly expanded nightlife related testing, including testing of close contacts. But still, it’s only about 1500-2100 people tested a day during the week and 400-500 on Sundays.
https://stopcovid19.metro.tokyo.lg.jp/en/cards/positive-rate/
EH: 1500-2100 people tested a day? Can I ask where that’s coming from? The only test figures on that site (that I can see) are number of tests conducted, which is not the same thing as number of people tested.
MZ: It’s coming from the graph I linked. Description (Jp/Clunky Eng):「検査実施人数」の推移は本グラフ及びテーブルにて掲載（検査実施人数＝陽性者数＋陰性者数 Changes in the number of tested people(=Test positive+Test negatives) get on this graph and table. 陰性確認のために行った検査の実施人数は含まない Not included; The number of people for Test positive check 陽性率：陽性判明数の移動平均／（陽性判明数＋陰性判明数）の移動平均 Rate of Test Positives: Moving average of test positive patients/Moving average of Tested people (as test positive + negative cases) As opposed to the graph you referenced:検査実施件数Number of tests 同一の対象者について複数の検体を検査する場合あり More than one sample from the same subject may be tested. Technically speaking, the graph I linked shows positive/negative results and the negative results might take a while to get as well, meaning it might not show an exact number of people tested each specific day. But I think it’s the closest thing we have telling us numbers of individuals tested, not numbers of administered tests.
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Only 29 of them were Naughty Nighties so that excuse is wearing a bit thin.
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Quite a few cases are from people going out to dinner together but they didn’t say how many.
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Tokyo metropolitan govt. is not thinking of asking businesses to close at this stage.
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But they would like to strongly call for people to not frequent night entertainment districts, with the exception of establishments that are taking proper measures.
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45 cases were from unknown sources.
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NHK compared Shibuya crossing shots for April.25 vs. yesterday. “People have increased”
[Doesn’t look so different?
Bear in mind April 25 was a Saturday and yesterday was a Thursday daytime.
The other channels were quick to point out the more interesting fact that it has been exactly two weeks since Tokyo lifted the final step of its restrictions, including allowing travel to and from other prefectures.]
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The head of the International Infectious Diseases Center says that if this pace continues, the number of unknown-source cases will be 6 times higher in one month.
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And 40 times higher a further 4 weeks after that.
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“The number of patients could be considerable.”
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There were 19 new cases reported in Saitama yesterday.
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Saitama governor: “I think Saitama needs to be especially careful as we are so intimately connected with Tokyo, and so many people come into and out of the capital.”
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Saitama governor: “I would like to ask [Saitama] people to avoid Tokyo nightspots as much as possible.”
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Tottori prefecture: Infection confirmed of male childcare worker in his 30s who visited Tokyo.
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The man visited Tokyo for three days, 19-21 June.
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He went to Tokyo right after the request for people not to travel to other prefectures was lifted. Began showing symptoms on 30 June, and then his infection was confirmed by a PCR test.
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Government comment:
They will carry out:
– Close cooperation with local government bodies
– Aggressive testing of close contacts