20200714 (Tuesday) Coronavirus Digest from Japanese Morning TV News Part 1 (of probably 1): Main News
The bulletin i usually watch gave neither the national nor Tokyo scores so I took those off the website.
See photo captions for stories.
Photo 01
Today’s Japan Covid-related NHK morning news topics:
– Corona infection confirmed in a part-time worker at an evacuation center in Kumamoto
– The clusters keep coming: Is it a community-acquired infection?
– Special report: Disruption at a hospice
– Survey: 67% favour infection prevention over the economy
Photo 02
261 new cases yesterday [soothingly low numbers for your Tuesday pleasure]
119 in Tokyo
17 in Kanagawa, 17 in Chiba, 26 in Saitama
18 in Osaka
9 in Kyoto
5 in Kagoshima
Another 13 in quarantine after coming back from overseas.
Photo 03
119 in Tokyo [This day last week was 102]
1st time in 5 days to be under 200.
Around 70% in their 20s and 30s.
Untraceable cases the majority at 64 (vs. 55)
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A guy from Kagawa who went down to Kumamoto to help at evacuation centers between the 8th and 12th of this month has been confirmed infected.
Photo 05
On the 9th he was in charge of putting up cardboard beds and taking people’s temperatures.
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On the 10th and 11th he was interviewing evacuees at a different center.
Photo 07
He work a mask while working at the evacuation center.
JT: Doesn’t that evacuation center look so cosy, clean and modern? Takes some of the worry away.
SY: I thought it was one of the damaged houses that people were evacuated from, but a closer look reveals that it’s a school gym being used for evacuation. The doors are a bit worn from years of students opening and closing them.
Photo 08
It was determined that none of the people he was involved with at the evacuation center were close range contacts.
TM: How is this possible if he was taking temperatures of folks?!
SY: Close contact is defined as someone you have been within 1.5 meters of for more than 15 minutes.
Photo 09
The prefecture will give an explanation to evacuees and carry out disinfecting activities.
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The worker had contact with about 400 people.
PCR tests will be administered to those who want them.
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30 cases have been reported among the staff and audience of a theater production that was held in Tokyo until the 5th of this month.
[This has been quite the topic on the wide shows for the last couple of days.]
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The theater took all the necessary precautions like reducing capacity by half, and keeping a space between the stage and audience
[audience members have reported that their squirts of alcohol were inadequate, and ventilation only done for 10 mins during the intermission, and that face shields provided for audience members near the front were abandoned after audience members complained.]
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There have been cases confirmed connected to all six days of the theatrical run.
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The actors, staff and audience make a total of around 800 close contacts.
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All people are being asked to take a PCR test.
[Now’s your chance: If you want to get a PCR test, you can claim that you went to see this show. There were out-of-towners there too, so you could even come in from other prefectures. (JK)]
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Koike says this incident will be a big “merkmal” for the city government.
[This word is German, but don’t be surprised if your Japanese acquaintances and students assume it’s English and ask you what it means.]
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[I took this slide off yesterday’s wide show as an addendum to my Saturday pet peeve about the temperature cut off.
On Saturday the 4th, one actor complained of not feeling well. But an antibody test was negative and their temperature was below the 37.5C guideline.
On Sunday the 5th, one actor said his temperature was higher than normal, but it was still below the 37.5C guideline. A doctor saw him and said it was likely just a flare up of his chronic illness.
So…the show must go on…seems to have been the philosophy.]
Photo 18
So the segment on clusters was subtitled: “It’s not just the nightspots” Progress.]
Here they showed clusters at three hospitals and medical centers in Nagasaki, Kawasaki and Chiba.
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Here we have 71 at Futenma, 22 at Camp Hansen [both US military], the theater group cluster of 30, 9 people at a Sagawa Kyubin delivery center in Nara [wait, what?!], and 27 at that day nursery in Bunkyo ward.
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Today’s expert says that we are beginning to see community-acquired infections in regional society.
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“We need to go back to basics[/the beginning] and proceed carefully with our foot on the brake.”
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Mr. Nishimura has his mask off to tell us that the Go To travel campaign will start on schedule on July 22.
MZ: The other day I caught a glimpse of his joint presser with Koike. He looked exactly like this – no mask, no tie, a suit. A walking talking picture of nothing to see here, move along. She, on the other hand, had her typical look for delivering bad news on – a mask and 作業服 (workwear?). A picture of I’m hard at work dealing with the problem.
Crisis communication 101. Too bad the clothes are pretty much where their differences end.
SY: This is the face pic that comes up when you search Google images for “shou ga nai”…
Photo 23
His advice: Stay indoors if you are feeling sick and avoid buffets when easting at tourist spots.
[I wish I was kidding]
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In the special report: A hospice is faced with the choice of preventing infection and giving people time with their families.
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During the lockdown, the hospice wasn’t allowing any physical contact. This man is talking to his 91 year old mother by phone through the glass doors.
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In general, since hospice patients aren’t going to recover, the focus is on making sure they enjoy the time they have left.
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However, they took the difficult decision to limit visits, since if one person got infected, basically everybody in the hospice would likely die.
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When you think of it like that, it is very difficult to allow even one exception.
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But seeing how her patients quality of life had fallen and was hastening a worsening of their condition, they decided to allow visits with the following conditions: Maximum of two visitors, thorough check of health condition, promise not to go out to nightspots.
Photo 30a
Moving on, the Sumo association has decided to allow spectators for their summer tournament.
They will let in just a quarter of the venue’s capacity, about 2500 people.
Photo 30b
Box seats (which usually sit four people) will be limited to one person. People will wear masks, and be asked not to shout, only clap.
[As for the Kyushu tournament, that will be held in Tokyo too this year, to avoid large scale movement and long-term stays for the people involved.]
Photo 31
NHK did a survey…
Photo 32
When asked which should be the main focus, the economy or infection prevention, 20% said infection prevention and 47% said “if they had to choose one, then infection prevention.”
Only 6% said the economy, and another 19% said “if they had to choose one, then the economy.”