Japan and the pandemic: because they don’t know what to do

The number of new corona infections in Tokyo has never been as high as it is now during the Olympic Games. An emergency has been in place for more than two weeks. Those responsible are puzzled.

For days, Tokyo has been reporting one new corona high after the other. 3865 cases were counted on Thursday, the mark of 10,000 new infections within one day was broken for the first time in all of Japan. The numbers are also increasing in the context of the Olympic Games: a total of 220 infected people have been reported so far, 27 of them on this Friday alone – also a new high.

According to surveys, at the beginning of the Games, more than half of the people in Japan were in favor of canceling the Games. 68 percent were of the opinion that safe games could not be guaranteed. Has this concern come true?

Responsible surprised

Atsushi Katayama cannot rule that out, it is possible that the high numbers are also related to the Olympics. Katayama is responsible for coordinating anti-corona measures in Tokyo, such as corona vaccinations. “The increase was unexpected, we hadn’t expected such high numbers of infections.” It is unclear how this could come about.

Experts had warned of an increase in the delta variant weeks before the start of the Olympic Games. The proportion of highly contagious mutants in all cases in Tokyo is now around 70 percent – according to scientific forecasts.

There is still a lot of ambiguity with regard to the cases within the Olympic bubble, said Katayama. It is not yet known whether the people in Japan were infected or whether they had already entered the country infected. Japan has set strict rules for all Olympic participants from abroad: a current negative PCR test must be presented on departure, the next one follows immediately after arrival, after which a two-week quarantine applies. Regular corona tests are mandatory throughout your stay.

Japan’s Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga denies a connection between the Olympic Games and the rising numbers in Tokyo. There is no need to worry about the Olympics, because the ban on spectators at most of the venues also means there is less movement and contact.

Difficult search for action

Since the high numbers surprised those responsible and the search for the causes is still in the dark, it is difficult to find the right measures, said the officer for anti-corona measures, Katayama. There is currently an emergency in Tokyo, but it does not seem to be having sufficient effect: Citizens are called upon to stay at home, restaurants and bars are not allowed to serve alcohol and should close by 8 p.m. at the latest. However, many restaurateurs do not adhere to it, because they fear great losses due to the alcohol ban.

The governor of Tokyo, Yuriko Koike, sees a duty above all of the restaurant visitors. At a press conference on Wednesday, she said the behavior of young people is key – because the numbers are rising particularly sharply among them. Koike therefore urged younger people in particular to get vaccinated.

There is a lack of vaccine

Vaccination coordinator Katayama has no doubt that young people in particular want to be vaccinated. Many universities would contact him to plan vaccination campaigns, the interest was great. However, Japan is not yet offering vaccines to all citizens, as there is a lack of vaccine. When it comes to vaccination, you still want to speed up.

For example, vaccinations are being carried out at six locations in Tokyo where thousands should have been watching competitions together – fighting pandemics instead of public viewing. Firefighters, police officers, veterinarians and Olympic employees are currently being vaccinated there. The latter were given a vaccination offer before the games, now it’s about the second vaccinations.

“I would have found it better if more people had been vaccinated twice before the Olympics,” said Katayama. But the vaccine doses would not have been enough for that. One in four Japanese people is currently vaccinated. In the Olympic Village, on the other hand, according to the Olympic organizers, the vaccination rate is 80 percent.