Tokyo in 5-day coronavirus downward trend: Far from a meltdown!

Tokyo in 5-day coronavirus downward trend: Far from the alleged meltdown!

Kanako Mita and Lee Jay Walker

Modern Tokyo Times

The upsurge of reported coronavirus (Covid-19) infection cases in Tokyo is gradually relenting in the last thirteen days. Indeed, only on three days have cases gone over 100 in this period. This bodes well for the capital city even if blips occur.

Since April 17, when the highest reported infections totaled 201, a gradual downward pyramid is emerging. Of course, sometimes cases increase but at the moment a downward trend is visible.

Indeed, in the last five days, the number remains below 100 despite the population of Tokyo being extremely big. Hence, reported coronavirus infections in the last five days are 91, 87, 58, 38, and 23.

When coronavirus cases took an upturn in April many news agencies in Japan and internationally branded scaremongering headlines. However, Modern Tokyo Times reported the reality on the ground.

On April 26, Modern Tokyo Times uttered, Despite the usual scaremongering – and, nobody fully knows which way the coronavirus crisis will go in Japan – it is clear that the death toll is still remarkably low. Thereby, despite the recent increase of coronavirus cases in the last few weeks in Japan taking an upturn, it isn’t a dramatic breakdown. After all, other nations have been hit horrendously including America, Ecuador, and many European nations.” 

Equally important, the Modern Tokyo Times highlighted the real reality throughout Japan rather than picturing a nation in panic. It was stated on April 29, “In the following 47 prefectures, these all have less than ten deaths despite the coronavirus entering Japan in the middle of January. This applies to Akita (0), Aomori (0), Fukushima (0), Iwate (0), Kagawa (0), Miyagi (0), Miyazaki (0), Nagano (0), Okayama (0), Shizuoka (0), Tochigi (0), Tottori (0), Yamagata (0), Yamaguchi (0), Yamanashi (0), Kumamoto (1), Mie (1), Nagasaki (1), Saga (1), Shiga (1), Wakayama (1), Hiroshima (2), Shimane (2), Ehime (3), Kochi (3), Tokushima (3), Kagoshima (4), Okinawa (4), Niigata (5), Toyama (5), Fukui (6), Gifu (6), Ishikawa (6), and Nara (8). Therefore, 34 prefecture outs of 47 have less than 10 deaths in over three months and this implies that Japan can’t possibly be teetering on the brink.”

Astonishingly, Reuters reported, “Reports in Japanese media citing an undisclosed health ministry projection said fatalities could reach the 400,000-mark without mitigation measures. It also estimated that as many as 850,000 people could need ventilators.”

However, after just one week short of roughly 4 months of coronavirus in Japan, the death toll is 577. Equally important, the death toll in Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea, and Taiwan is relatively low. Therefore, while no nation is out of the woods because of the nature of coronavirus, it is still clear that the death toll isn’t horrendous in modernized nations throughout the Asia Pacific.

Of course, events can change dramatically but the figure of 400,000 deaths in Japan seemed to involve “fake news” and no serious logic. This applies to the low death toll internally and in modernized nations throughout the region based on the rule of law.

Despite this, Japan must keep its guard up and focus on areas of higher concentration. At the same time, areas of weakness must be learned now while breathing space exists.

https://stopcovid19.metro.tokyo.lg.jp/en/ – Tokyo Metropolitan Government website for updates about the coronavirus crisis in Tokyo.

https://covid19japan.com/ – Japan regional coronavirus statistics

https://uk.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-japan/japan-urges-citizens-to-isolate-as-reports-warn-of-400000-deaths-idUKKCN21X149

http://moderntokyotimes.com/tokyo-reports-the-lowest-rate-of-new-coronavirus-cases-since-april-1/

http://moderntokyotimes.com/japan-media-in-teetering-over-coronavirus-but-the-majority-of-prefectures-have-few-deaths/

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