18 June 2022, Saturday– Coronavirus Digest from Japanese Morning TV News Part 1 (of 1): Headlines and (yesterday’s) numbers

Day 782 of doing these daily posts continuously.

See photo captions for stories.

Photo 01

Japan covid-related topics in NHK’s 7am news bulletin today:

Nothing in these headlines, but there was a Keidanren story and numbers from the 9pm news last night.

On this morning’s news was a piece on walnut allergies, which is something my son also has, albeit mildly.

Photo 2a

But first the numbers:

14709 new cases confirmed

[vs. 15600 for the same day last week. 19271 the same day two weeks ago.]

47 out of 47 prefectures reported cases yesterday.

No new daily case records.

Nowhere with five digits

Quadruple figures in 3 prefectures:

Okinawa, Osaka, Tokyo

36 prefectures in triple figures

8 prefectures in double figures

Tokyo on 1596 [vs. 1600 same day last week]

Osaka on 1125 [vs. 1419 same day last week]

The number of positives at immigration testing was 13

[Border testing was relaxed even as double the number of people are being allowed into the country from June 01.]

Photo 02b

The total of current active serious cases stands at 40, down 4 vs. the previous day.

18 deaths announced yesterday, for a total of 31016*

Total recorded cases at 9125637.

Recovered cases at 8930511 (around 15,000 recovered cases up from the previous day)

Total active cases are at 164,110 (down around 100 vs the previous day.

Percentage of active cases as a percentage of the grand total of cases is 1.79%.

Today’s death toll puts the Japan total over 31000 and triggers my 500 death benchmarking.

It’s taken 21 days to pass the 31,000 mark (31016 on June 18, 30518 on May 28)

It took 14 days to pass the 30,500 mark (30518 on May 28, 30023 on May 14)

It took 14 days to pass the 30,000 mark (30023 on May 14, 29525 on April 29)

It took 12 days to pass the 29500 mark (29525 on April 29, 29015 on April 17)

It took 9 days to pass the 29000 mark (29015 on April 17, 28548 on April 08)

It took 8 days to pass the 28500 mark (28548 on April 08, 28035 on March 31)

It took 6 days to pass the 28000 mark (28035 on March 31, 27502 on Mar 25)

It took 5 days to pass the 27500 mark (27502 on Mar 25, 27072 on Mar 20)

It took 3 days to pass the 27000 mark (27072 on Mar 20, 26641 on Mar 17)

It took 4 days to pass the 26500 mark (26641 on Mar 17, 26084 on Mar 13)

It took 3 days to pass the 26000 mark (26084 on Mar 13, 25546 on Mar 10)

It took 2 days to pass the 25500 mark (25546 on Mar 10, 25084 on Mar 08)

It took 3 days to pass the 25000 mark (25084 on Mar 08, 24646 on Mar 05)

It took 2 days to pass the 24500 mark (24646 on Mar 05, 24156 on Mar 03)

It took 2 days to pass the 24000 mark (24156 on Mar 03, 23683 on Mar 01)

It took 3 days to add another 500 (23683 on Mar 01, 23085 on Feb 26)

It took 2 days to add another 500 (23085 on Feb 26, 22601 on Feb 24)

It took 2 days to add another 500 (22601 on Feb 24, 22033 on Feb 22)

It took 2 days to add another 500 (22033 on Feb 22, 21702 on Feb 20)

It took 3 days to add the previous 500 (21702 on Feb 20, 21,002 on Feb 17)

It took 2 days to add another 500 (21,002 on Feb 17, 20536 on Feb 15)

It took 3 days to add another 500 (220536 on Feb 15, 20105 on Feb 12)

It took 3 days to add another 500 (20105 on Feb 12, 19629 on Feb 09)

It took 5 days to add another 500 (19629 on Feb 09, 19070 on Feb 04)

It took 12 days to add another 500 (19070 on Feb 04, 18500 on Jan 23)

It took 82 days to add another 500 (18500 on Jan 23, 18000 on Oct 13)

Before that 15 days, 11 days, 8 days, 9 days, 12 days, 35 days, 22 days, 11 days, 6 days, 5 days, 6 days, 5 days, 4 days, 6, 5, 6, 5, 4, 5, 7, 8, 11, 14, 14,10, 9, 6, 7, 5.

In Jan 01 2021 figures (i.e. for 31 Dec 2020, i.e. for ALL of 2020 year), the total deaths stood at 3505.

In Jan 01 2022 figures (i.e. for 31 Dec 2020, i.e. for ALL of 2020-2021), the total deaths stood at 18405. [So we added 14900 in 2021.]

We are on 12,611 for the year so far (3-4 times 2020’s total, and two thirds of 2021’s total in 5.5 months).

Deaths the day before Suga became PM stood at 1460 (i.e. under Abe), 16000 deaths were Suga’s watch (11 times as many as Abe; Suga had a year of covid vs. Abe’s 6 months though). This makes 13500 under Kishida (about 9 times Abe’s and over 75% of Suga’s in 8 months).

Photo 03

The influential business group Keidanren has revised its guidelines on covid measures for companies.

Photo 04

For mask-wearing, you can judge whether to wear one depending on the situation.

Photo 05

For social distancing, the guidelines have changed from keeping 2m apart to keeping 1-2m apart.

Photo 06

They’ve deleted the bits about using acrylic curtains and partitions.

Photo 07

Also deleted:

Events and meetings should be held online.

Door knobs and stair handrails should be disinfected frequently.

Photo 08

So apparently, there has been a spike in walnut allergies, and this is now the fourth most common type of allergy in Japan behind eggs, milk and flour.

[It looks like the paperwork will be done this month to make it compulsory to display walnuts as an ingredient on food packaging (along with the 7 current compulsory ingredients). Currently, It is only recommended. If adopted, this will go into force later this year.]

Photo 09

Finally, a solo Erika pic for Derek.