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Japan finds new coronavirus variant in travelers from Brazil

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Why are there still travellers? And why still from Brazil? One of the worst managed and affected countries, after the US.

26 ( +31 / -5 )

The system in place for returning residents is not bad (covid test within 72 hours and quarantine). There are two problems. A Covid test can be faked easily. It's usually a pdf sent by email. The work positive can be changed to negative by a child with a computer. Once you arrive to Japan if you test positive without symptoms you just go to a hotel anyway, I think it's subsidised. The second problem is that people are not following the rules of the quarantine at all. We can blame the Japanese system for being too relaxed, the trust system does not work for non-Japanese.

-5 ( +7 / -12 )

With a virulent variant potentially on the loose in Japan then it is time to limit commuters on public transport.

2 ( +8 / -6 )

If you keep the borders close, this would not happen.

0 ( +11 / -11 )

Unfortunately it is the same situation in many countries. They allow people to enter from all over the world, for various reasons, workers, students, family, etc. Many bring virus with them, mostly unknowingly, I hope. During the Christmas holiday it has caused major rise in infected corona numbers and the vaccine is very slowly moving forward. The authorities have been too liberal and many people do not sense the seriousness of the situation. So here we are, after 10 months of dealing with corona, worse off. It does not make much sense after all the effort, that we are doing worse. No Wonder many feel tired after working so hard with little result.

5 ( +8 / -3 )

How come people are getting on a plane, and arriving in Japanese soil with symptoms?

Wonder if the passengers on that plane were informed, in order to properly quarantine.

Because as we know the quarantine here is just a “request to refrain from unnecessary outings and to avoid public transportation”.

12 ( +14 / -2 )

They should be deported back to Brazil...

-4 ( +8 / -12 )

@monty

If you keep the borders close, this would not happen

Agree about closing borders to keep infections out. However, you do realize that viruses mutate anyways? It’s not a case of people letting in mutated viruses etc.

-4 ( +4 / -8 )

I never ceases to amaze me how stupid people are.

1 why are they allowing travelers into the country in the first place?

2 why the hell would you travel to another county if you have problems breathing and Have other symptoms.

if one thing this pandemic shows us is that people don’t care about the effect one persons actions have on potentially the world.

it’s so infuriating.

12 ( +15 / -3 )

Why are there still travellers? And why still from Brazil? One of the worst managed and affected countries, after the US.

Obviously you have never been to a factory in Nagoya, Shiga etc. many generations of mixed families and permanent residents.

-5 ( +4 / -9 )

I thought with the introduction of the travel restriction all tavellers are required to be tested 72 hours before departure and again on arrival? They travelled on the plane with the infection.

Those travellers had moved before the new policy was implemented (starting from Jan 9th). But I don't trust much the pre-departure testing. A compulsory test on arrival and two-week quarantine are more significant.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

"There are two problems. A Covid test can be faked easily. It's usually a pdf sent by email. The word positive can be changed to negative by a child with a computer."

Yup, this what happen, when 18 Indonesians tested positive at Narita two weeks ago. This is true, especially, if they are coming from a third world country.

"Once you arrive to Japan if you test positive without symptoms you just go to a hotel anyway,"

You are correct. They should be sent back to their own country.

"The second problem is that people are not following the rules of the quarantine at all. We can blame the Japanese system for being too relaxed, the trust system does not work for non-Japanese."

Well said. And people wonder why the Japanese don't trust foreigners.

-8 ( +5 / -13 )

Hummm.....Passport holding, Japanese nationals/citizens? Maybe? If so deported back to...Japan.....?

9 ( +9 / -0 )

Traveller must stand for returnee, not tourist I guess. Unless these folks were traveling to Brazil, then back here.

About closing the border ???

Well, in that case, close it for everything , commercial exchanges but Japan will not get its food. Do not forget Japan has a self sufficiency rate of only 37%

1 ( +4 / -3 )

I do not believe that Japan has only a food self sufficiency rate of 37 %. Ok, statistically and Imp/Exp balance might show that but with 30 % food discarded, millions of kgs of crop destroyed to keep prices up, etc, declining polulation I think Japan could be self sufficient if it wanted or needed to be. We sure don’t lack drinking water. I would really like to see a well fact based article on this instead of just a general number thrown up

0 ( +3 / -3 )

@Jbigs

Jumping to conclusions here?

Japan does not allow any non-Japanese into the country now. Full stop. So why do you assume they are foreigners? There is absolutely no evidence. Read the article carefully again.

Can you show me where in the article it says that these four people are Brazilian? This article falls over itself in hiding the fact that these people are more than likely, Japanese. The lack of a nationality attached to the four people is the giveaway.

If they were NJ, it would be in the headline. The Japanese media is using the term 「ブラジルから帰国者」(Four returnees from Brazil) and the term "returnees" is almost always used for Japanese. If they were Brzillian or of another natinality, the media and especially the government would be sure to note these travellers were not Japanese.

6 ( +7 / -1 )

"travelers from Brazil" does not necessarily mean Brazilians. These could easily be Japanese citizens who went to Brazil for work, and came back. The article doesn't mention these people's nationalities at all.

Secondly, the coronavirus can be asymptomatic for a long time. So, it's quite possible they felt fine, and developed symptoms on the flight. Remember, Japan doesn't require its' citizens to have a negative PCR test before they board a plane.

5 ( +6 / -1 )

Quite obviously they were Japanese who fell sick in Brazil and decided to head home, endangering other passengers and crew. I hope Brazil will call this out.

14 ( +14 / -0 )

Any one still eager for Japan to hold Olympics?

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Any one still eager for Japan to hold Olympics?

Oh, YES!

TV is saying that is crucial for Japan to held the Olympics this summer.

I'm LOL listening to their acrobatics to justify the need for the Olympics.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Still, Brazil's Health Ministry said it has been notified by Japan's authorities that the new variant has 12 mutations, and one of them has already been identified also in the variants found in the United Kingdom and in South Africa. "It implies in a potential higher virus infectiousness," it said.

I think this article tell us there is other mutations that has not been spread yet.

Is PCR test effective for new mutants?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Lt. Winters

"There are two problems. A Covid test can be faked easily. It's usually a pdf sent by email. The word positive can be changed to negative by a child with a computer."

Yup, this what happen, when 18 Indonesians tested positive at Narita two weeks ago. This is true, especially, if they are coming from a third world country.

Except Japan requires a certain format for the covid test, with the doctor's/clinics signature or stamp on it. To my understanding this means the 'hard copy' with the original signature/stamp, i.e. not a printed copy. Bit harder to fake that.

"Once you arrive to Japan if you test positive without symptoms you just go to a hotel anyway,"

You are correct. They should be sent back to their own country.

Oh, and infect more people on their way back? What if and when their lives are here now? Their families, jobs and homes? That means Japan in fact is their home now. There are many immigrants in Japan working to make this society function better; in factories, care homes, hospitals etc. Probably many nurses too, taking care of covid patients. Would you like to send them away as well?

"The second problem is that people are not following the rules of the quarantine at all. We can blame the Japanese system for being too relaxed, the trust system does not work for non-Japanese."

Well said. And people wonder why the Japanese don't trust foreigners.

Funny that, because lately I'm having real big issues in trusting Japanese nationals. The sheer amount of negligence towards safety measures etc makes me want to vomit every time I need to go to the supermarket. Majority of the people now ignore the disinfectants by the door, 1/4 of people are either not wearing any masks or wearing the masks under their nose, there's simply no social in place anywhere I can see, and no shops are limiting the amount of customers within their walls. I'm often the only customer who disinfects hands both on the way in and on the way out, wears a mask at all times, does not fiddle or touch the mask, and keeps the 2m distance (whenever possible) to other people. And still I get the scared stares - "Oh no! Gaijin!"

There have been clips on tv of interviews/phone calls, where Japanese citizens are asking their doctors "huh, what, are you saying I can't go to the super sento or pachinko just because I have covid-19??!"

Based on what I've seen and heard lately, I doubt that many Japanese are following the quarantine rules themselves. I'd say foreigners are following the prevention methods way better.

9 ( +10 / -1 )

( typo from the above: " ...there's simply no social distancing in place anywhere I can see,... )

9 ( +9 / -0 )

Quite obviously they were Japanese who fell sick in Brazil and decided to head home, endangering other passengers and crew. I hope Brazil will call this out.

100% agreed

9 ( +9 / -0 )

Except Japan requires a certain format for the covid test, with the doctor's/clinics signature or stamp on it. To my understanding this means the 'hard copy' with the original signature/stamp, i.e. not a printed copy. Bit harder to fake that.

You can fake it easily. You can even sign as any doctor pretending to be one, no stamp necessary. They don't have a list of every doctor in Brazil.

Anyway even if a real doctor does sign the form, he is basing his signature off the test result, which is the easiest document to fake in the world.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Incoming travelers must be led to a specific hotels and guarded at the hallway floor for 14 days and making sure they stay inside their room. That is what happened to my friend and her spouse upon arriving in Sydney. Greeted by guards to take them to a specific hotel for 14 days.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

Unfortunately it is the same situation in many countries. They allow people to enter from all over the world, for various reasons, workers, students, family, etc. Many bring virus with them, mostly unknowingly. The authorities have been too liberal and many people do not sense the seriousness of the situation. Brazil is the second country with the highest numbers of Covid-19 deaths & Now trying to order vaccines from India.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

And anyway, taking the UK mutation as an example, it was already figuring in official reports (disregarded there) back in September, which means that it was able to freely circulate the world and seed itself .... wherever, but almost certainly in many, many countries .... On top of that, aircrew are able to bypass controls in many (most?) places, allowing asymptomatic spread for weeks now. We can probably assume that these more virulent variants are on the up and up in many places, and are behind the rocketing infection rates in so many places, including Japan. So - the horse has well and truly bolted.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

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