In the Coronavirus Fight in Scandinavia, Sweden Stands Apart
- Thread starter wildchild
- Start date
Actually ---- other articles showed that this is not effectively true.
Japan for the most part addressed COVID effectively by Contact tracing every case and strictly quarantining everyone with COVID. Banning incoming travelers early in the pandemic and then for other periods of time.
However they still are dealing with cases. And with the Olympics coming up the situation is becoming more urgent. There are restrictions on restaurants - which must close by 8pm. Since April of 2020, many non-essential businesses have been closed by local authorities or their owners, most sports venues are closed, large gatherings banned by local governments and other restrictions are in place -- many enforced by society rather law -- including the widespread wearing of masks.
The country has had a state of emergency for quite a while -- urging everyone to work from home and not go out. Social pressure works in Japan.
Japan expands state of emergency and bans entry of foreign nationals as coronavirus as infections climb
https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/13/asia/japan-coronavirus-emergency-olympics-intl-hnk/index.html
Coronavirus: Japan's mysteriously low virus death rate
BBC - https://tinyurl.com/y5hsdy43
Japan has accomplished some containment through their usual discipline and social cooperation values, etc.
Having said that they are also a bit of disappointment. They are the last of the G7 countries to begin vaccinating and - despite being a leading edge, highly advanced country scientifically- they have developed no vaccine whatsoever. A year ago, I thought they would be one of the leading countries along with a couple others. As I said, a bit of a disappointment. Yes, they have a couple in the pipeline and probably they will be along later in the year but that is lame. The free world needs robust performers outside of the Russia/China sphere. Canada, you need to listen up too but I will give you a little break today.
We see Australia and New Zealand say they are not desperate to start vaccinating since their public health policies have contained COVID. New Zealand even stating that other nations need the vaccine first.
Japan has a bit of the same attitude towards the vaccine; their societal public health measures have worked out pretty well. However in recent weeks the cases in Japan have started to rise and since December their has been talk of the government passing federal laws to impose lock-down restrictions rather than using societal pressure. The entire situation is becoming increasingly urgent because Japan will be hosting the Olympics this year --- with people arriving from countries around the world into a nation that will be effectively non-vaccinated at that time.
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It is my argument lock down vs non lock down is a false comparison because country’s dynamics are disparate. For example, consider the rate of comorbidities in each country would probably increase mortality rates based on overall health of the country. This is why I used quotation marks. I actually think lock down is a terrible term that is mostly used as a derogatory statement rather than a measurable comparable.
Japan is a high compliance country. They never truly needed to lock down because they understood the basics was all that is actually needed. Something we in the West just can’t seem to get a grip on.
We also falsely believe that if we just removed restrictions then the economy would not be impacted by unmitigated Covid spread. So we are stuck arguing “lock down” (really restrictions that vary wildly) vs unmitigated spread and it’s just an awful place to be in. All we need is basic compliance to best practices.
It’s a very tough situation we are. We are a people that are highly addicted to conspiracy theory and anti intellectualism. So we make quick comparisons to score points on cheap arguments instead of drilling down. Why are Asian countries handling Covid so much better than the west?
No lockdowns. No mask mandates.
Yet nearly 100% of the population in Japan wears masks.
Previous exposure. Regional immunity. Genetics. It’s certainly not masks and lockdowns.
Untrue.
How many times have you been to Japan?
Actually several. Even prior COVID many people wear masks in Japan and nearby nations during flu seasons. With COVID most people confirmed quickly to wearing a mask.