Coronavirus in Japan: Tokyoites exasperated by government laxity
One in three tests is positive for coronavirus in the Japanese capital.
REUTERS - KIM KYUNG-HOON
Text by: RFI Follow
3 min
While in several countries around the world, people are demonstrating against the restrictions imposed by the authorities in order to stop the spread of the coronavirus, in Japan, it is the opposite: in this country facing a third wave of the epidemic , many people find the government too lax and would like it to tighten the screw.
The archipelago's priority remains the revival of the economy, no confinement is therefore envisaged.
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With our correspondent in Tokyo
,
Bruno Duval
Until then relatively spared by the Covid-19 pandemic - with a little more than 2,000 deaths and 135,400 infections - Japan has never counted as many contaminations as today.
► See also:
Winter flu and third wave of Covid: Japan facing a "twin epidemic"
However, the government does not pretend to put an end to the great campaign to promote tourism that it launched this summer, at the end of the second wave.
It allows the Japanese to stay in hotels or travel by TGV at lower prices.
This stubbornness of the authorities annoys many people.
“
Boost the economy and tourism, yes, of course, but not in the middle of the third wave!
, deplores a Tokyoite
.
The priority now, alas, is to save lives, not jobs.
"
A position shared by a passerby.
"
Getting people to travel across the country when they'd better stay home
?"
It's irresponsible
, she says.
And really worrying
... "
The government is also not asking bars and restaurants to close, but it is imposing draconian rules on their customers.
Establishments serving alcohol are only required to close their doors at 10 p.m., and customers are required to follow a strict protocol, criticized by some of the population.
“
We must eat in silence and take off our mask then put it back on between each bite
!” Protested a resident of the capital.
It's nonsense, isn't it
?
"
Another noted: “
With my friends, in bars, in the early evening we apply the rule but after a few hours, with the help of alcohol, everyone ends up removing their mask.
It always stresses me out a bit, but hey, I'm not saying anything.
"
Many Tokyoites think that instead of giving such unmanageable instructions, these establishments should be closed altogether.
In the capital, these days, one in three coronavirus tests turns out to be positive.
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Japan
Coronavirus
Economy