I realise most of you really do not care about the situation in Japan, now that the Olympics are over. But I thought I would give you an update as we get our second dollop of madness force fed to us next week.
We are still at about only about 35% of the population fully vaccinated, and that is heavily skewed towards over 65s. I have not had my first jab yet. Maybe in September if I am lucky.
Covid case numbers have risen 600% in less than four weeks.
Back then, we are on about 4,000 a day. It’s going to be about 24,000 today, and the numbers are rising at quite the pace now – over the last few weeks a real momentum has got going.
But, hey, shiny gold medals, right?
All sorts of apocalyptic language is now being used now by medical types and the government is desperately trying to get people to not do stuff. ‘Desperate’ being the appropriate word. Beyond asking people to sacrifice their welfare, they don’t seem to have the slightest idea as to what to do.
Well, apart from force the Paralympics on us all from next week.
That’s about the only thing that is 100%.
Alas, the Olympic-type overlords apparently still dictate what happens in Japan. They’ll probably hand the keys back the day after the Paralympics finish. Maybe they’ll stick up a few fingers up and utter a smarmy ‘suckerssssssss’ kind of snarl when they happily abandon us to deal with the crapfest we have been dealt.
I wonder what state Japan will be in by then.
Anyway, enjoy the games and sports you aren’t normally in the least bit interested in…
Keep posting, nap. Consider it therapy.
*Cue lots of people who aren’t in Japan and have never been there suddenly being experts, because sport is more important than anything including life itself (well, the lives of some funny foreign people anyway).*
It is hard, nigh on impossible, to justify both Games being held in Japan.
Unfortunately, it was just as hard not to get swept up into watching the damn thing (we only watched two afternoons, honest – and we felt very guilty afterwards)
It’s just been announced that the F1 Grand Prix in Japan scheduled for early October has been called off because of the rise in Covid cases. So surely they have to cancel all other international sport in Japan now too?
As Nap says, nothing is up to anyone else if it’s the Olympics. These people make the UN look like Handforth Parish Council.
That is correct,
Children’s sports festivals (a significant cultural event for Japanese people) cancelled. Summer events cancelled. Everything outside of the Olympics can be cancelled or curtailed. That of course includes peoples livelihoods, their health and their future.
For some reason the Olympics/Paralymics are untouchable.
I’d like to add.
Tokyo (population 14 million) still does just 10,000-15,000 tests — on a good day.
Last Sunday it did less than 3,000 tests.
Japan, population 125 million, still does on most days less than 100,000 tests.
During the Olympics, they (Tokyo) boasted of doing 30-40 thousand covid tests daily…….. only Olympics related, of course.
Clearly those things are not suitable for the population of the country.
If Japan did the amount of tests that, say, the UK did, I dread to think what the numbers would look like. Fact is, we just don’t know how bad it is here.
Also, if anyone can tell me just one benefit that Japan has received from holding the event, please do tell me. I’d like to know as I’ll be paying more taxes to pay for it in the coming years.
It was hardly a cultural advert for Japan. You didn’t get to see the wonderful things about this country. Of which there are many. At least normally during an Olympics the ‘host’ usually gets to be able to do that. Japan would have been able to excel in that respect. But in reality, the whole thing might as well have been held in an industrial estate in Hull. I don’t suppose the ‘parasites’ would have liked that as much.
We’ve got the highest infection rate in the UK at the moment – more than twice the national average. It’s a wonder the Olympic Committee aren’t more interested – we have plenty of drugs and prostitutes for them too. What are they waiting for?
It should be pointed out that the Paralympics are organised by the International Paralympic Committee, NOT the IOC. They are completely separate organisations.
I for one did not know that.
But they very much come as a package, and seem to consist of people with the values and priorities.
Checking worldometer link below, death rates in Japan are still extremely low especially when compared with UK or US at their respective peaks.
https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/japan/
Either the dominant strain is less lethal or there is some sort of natural immunity going on.
Or, actual covid-related deaths are not being reported as being covid deaths.
Like the dude who couldn’t find a hospital (tried over 100), took a turn for the worst at home and died. He isn’t in the official numbers. There’s apparently over 30,000 people who would like to go to hospital but are not able to. They must stay at home. Like said bloke.
27 confirmed dying today hardly seems like something to celebrate.
UK was around 1500-2000 deaths a day I believe at peak Covid-19, while all deaths are regrettable, 27 is statistically insignificant (relatively)
Cool. Sorry to bother you.
On second thoughts, perhaps I need to repost this:
“Or, actual covid-related deaths are not being reported as being covid deaths.”
As with the testing numbers – see my comments about those – the death statistics between countries are perhaps often not comparable. The way they are compiled, standards, some countries not doing autopsies, all sorts of stuff. But that’s a whole different rabbit hole to go down…
I’m not denying you had an absolutely terrible time in the UK. But it’s surely not something Japan wants to emulate.
I am in Canada where it has been (somewhat) better managed than the UK. I don’t wish that things get bad in Japan but it’s death rate is way below most countries for whatever reason. And the Paralympics was always going to go ahead with much fewer athletes after the Olympics got the all clear.
“Or, actual covid-related deaths are not being reported as being covid deaths.”
Is the overall death rate significantly above normal rates? Initially care home deaths from Covid were not counted in the UK, believe that is no longer the case. Also some it seems to be the case here in Canada that anybody who tests positive and then dies is counted as a Covid death even if the main cause of death is something else.
Another theory is the now predominant delta strain may be much more transmissable but it’s effects are weakening. This is how viruses survive, if people carrying them die off then so does the virus.
Here in Sweden (where else) the Tantrasex Festival (rather suprisingly) has led to an outbreak of more than 100 cases and led to the Norwegian border being closed in that area. It’s not clear at this point if Sting and his partner attended. Perhaps they joined in from a distance via Zoom.
Not surprised. They didn’t practice social distancing and wore, er, the wrong type of masks.
Personally, I’m amazed that not only did the Afterword blog fail to take any action to stop the Olympics going ahead, some of the bastards on here also had the temerity to watch and enjoy it too.
Not a person on here thinks anything we say on here matters a damn (except the discussions on suckers-only reissues which were invented solely for use by AfterWorders).
And, yup, I felt guilty for watching (and enjoying) something that shouldn’t have taken place. Mind you, I had similar problems watching (and enjoying) Clarkson’s Farm.
It’s possible to think that the Games shouldn’t have taken place, but also enjoy the endeavours of those competing. Which I did, a great deal.
It was marvellous.
I have a sense of deja vu. Except (next to) no one voir because it’s the paralympics. Sad but true.
Local IT whizz and all round good egg, William Hipwell, is competing in the GB Boccia (it’s a bit like Pétanque) squad.
We will be simultaneously cheering him on, hoping he stays safe, and wondering why on earth the whole madness is going ahead.
I wonder…
Is Mr Hipwell aware of how this event (and taking part in event) is really imposing on a Japan that is really struggling with a critical health crisis at this moment?
There’s so many ‘for examples’, but here’s just one. Many doctors that could be looking after local residents at this critical time are being diverted to this event. If my wife’s elderly parents who live in the Tokyo region fall ill next week, how will I feel when they (or someone else) cannot be looked after due to a shortage of doctors who are on sports-event duty?
How about simply the colossal cost and resources that are being used to force this event through, at a time when resources are already at/beyond breaking point and a concentrated effort is absolutely required to look after locals. Quoting medical heads yesterday, ‘infections are currently out of control’.
Mr Hipwell being an all round good egg, if he was aware of this, he would surely feel really bad about it. Right?
I just cannot get my head around how the welfare of the entire country is being put at risk for the benefit of some rich folk and a bunch of athletes being able to play their games.
I feel nothing for the plight of the rich folk and their bags of money.
The athletes, I respect. But everyday life in Japan is (obviously) far more important than their event.
They should not be here, this event should not be happening and they are not welcome here at this time.
I don’t disagree with anything you say, hence my “the whole madness” comment.
Will’s a clever chap and I wish him well. I also wish all the residents of Japan well.
Is he perhaps aware of these issues?
If so, is he comfortable with his actions?
I’m genuinely curious.
Just today on the news, in the last 7 days, 60% of requests for ambulances in Tokyo could not be responded to. A pregnant woman with COVID-19 gave birth at home to a premature baby after none of the hospitals could take her in. Her baby was taken to hospital but later died. There’s well over 30000 ill people in the Tokyo area being told to stay at home as there’s no space in the hospital. Some dying.
There is an alarming increase in this kind of story. With the 600% increase in confirmed cases – through very limited testing – in less than 4 weeks, it remains to be seen how these things increase over the next few weeks. But I’m guessing it’s not going to be pretty.
Japan needs more doctors than it currently has, but a whole bunch of them are being drafted in to look after thousands of folks from overseas with disabilities coming to play sport. I am emphasising those things to point out that they are not tax paying residents. (I am a tax paying permanent resident, originally from the UK – but unable to enter Japan now in the same way that they can).
Fingers crossed my wife’s parents (and other residents of the city) don’t need an ambulance or hospital in the coming weeks.
I haven’t asked Will. I haven’t seen him for over 18 months, probably because I haven’t been in the village cafe for 18+ months. He’s a bright lad with access to the internet.
I don’t disagree with anything you say. If I had my way, neither of the games would have gone ahead.
Thanks.
It just makes me mad. As you can tell. 😉
I’m going out with one last point:
The ‘it’ll be a super spreader event’ worry was just one of many concerns and issues.
Bigger picture, these events have been this colossal weight around the neck of Japan over the last year(s). The mind boggles at the amount of money, time, effort, etc that has been thrown at it – and what could have been done with the same resources.
The one and only main policy of the government here seems to have been: ‘Olympics at any cost’. Anything and everything to make it happen. Everything else has had to try and fit around that.
We’re paying for that now and no doubt my taxes will be paying for it for years.
If there had been no Olympics, this country would have been in a completely different situation. And as I noted before, Japan has literally had no substantial benefit at all from holding them. It is almost all negative.
That’s it for now.
I think you could say that, except the Covid-related stuff, about any host country.
My lad tells me the 2012 games are in the GCSE Geography syllabus. How the area was razed, rebuilt, and the previous tenants of Stratford given first dibs on the flats built for the Olympic village.
Mind you, I’m old enough to remember the Isle of Dogs before the Canary Wharf makeover…
Problem is the overwhelming colossal size and scale of the covid-related problems, hey. There’s not usually a major international pandemic to deal with, on top of everything else.
As I said in the other topic, I can just about put up with the whole circus – both the horrible corruption and the sport – in a normal year. If there had been no covid, I would have happily listened to more music and watch more movies and try my best to avoid it. (I am never keen on flag-waving stuff).
But when it directly affects your life – and will affect your life – in significant ways….
I think this whole thing has probably exposed these organisations for what they are to many people, particularly in Japan, which is a good thing. Not that I’ll make any difference probably. The overlords are just too powerful. Quite how and why, I don’t suppose I will ever understand.
I’ll go back to trying to ignore it when the parasites land on their new host.
>>
New record numbers today, whooo-hooo! There’re zooming up. Gold medal for us!
Another day or two and we’ll probably be at 700% the numbers from 4 weeks ago…
Following on from what Napaj said above
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/aug/19/japan-sees-record-number-of-covid-cases-days-before-paralympics-begin
The nightmare is almost over.
Our character-less, spineless – and apparently life-less – Prime Minister announced he is quitting yesterday. As hard as it might be to believe, he is even more miserable and pathetic than he looks. He is/was largely a puppet for more powerful old dudes in the background. It remains to be seen what old dude might take over.
Happily, unlike the Olympics, the Paralympics have been so low profile here that I almost had to check when it was over. Tomorrow! Yey.
I sincerely mean no offense to the individuals taking part and their stories of endeavor etc (***), but I am glad that close to no-one seems in the least bit interested in this ridiculous circus.
The other night, quite by accident, I was flipping channels on TV and there was some wheelchair basketball on. A text news flash was suddenly posted over the game to inform us that the number of people seriously ill with covid had reached a new high record, and the largest number of daily deaths in this latest wave.
It was almost comical.
The Olympic/Paralympics parasites will now move on to their next host, with their bags full of cash.
No doubt they will take a ceremonial dump at Narita Airport on the way out. Probably not even whilst sitting on a toilet, just to arrogantly put the fingers up to this country one last time.
May their souls not rest easy.
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*** Why do I always feel the need to say that? Why are athletes treated as being more special than…. everyone else. Don’t try to answer, because I will never understand. Because, they are not.