New top story from Time: With COVID-19 Cases Surging, Japan Extends the Areas Under a State of Emergency

https://ift.tt/38c7DNy

TOKYO — Japan was set to expand its coronavirus state of emergency for a second week in a row Wednesday, adding several more prefectures as a surge in infections fueled by the delta variant strains the country’s health care system.

The government last week extended the state of emergency until Sept. 12 and expanded the areas covered to 13 prefectures from six including Tokyo. Sixteen other prefectures are currently under quasi-emergency status.

The government at a meeting of experts Wednesday proposed upgrading eight prefectures from quasi-emergency status to a full state of emergency. Those prefectures include Hokkaido and Miyagi in the north, Aichi and Gifu in central Japan, and Hiroshima and Okayama in the west.
[time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”]

The proposal was expected to be approved and formally announced later Wednesday.

Japan’s state of emergency relies on requirements for eateries to close at 8 p.m. and not serve alcohol, but the measures are increasingly defied. Unenforceable social distancing and tele-working requests for the public and their employers are also largely ignored due to growing complacency.

The Japanese capital has been under the emergency since July 12, but new daily cases have increased more than tenfold since then to about 5,000 in Tokyo and 25,000 nationwide. Hospital beds are quickly filling and many people must now recover at home, including some who require supplemental oxygen.

More than 35,000 patients in Tokyo are recovering at home, about one-third of them unable to find a hospital or hotel vacancies immediately. Only a small percentage of hospitals are taking virus patients, either for financial reasons or because they lack the capability to treat the infections, experts say.

Japan has weathered the pandemic better than many other countries, with around 15,600 deaths nationwide since the start, but its vaccination efforts lag behind other wealthy nations. About 40% of the population has been fully vaccinated, mainly elderly people.

Economy and Fiscal Policy Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura, also in charge of the COVID-19 measures, said Wednesday that infections are spreading among those in their 20s to 50s who are largely unvaccinated. He urged them to take extra caution.

“Just imagine you may be the one getting infected tomorrow,” he said.

Rising infections among schoolchildren and teenagers could accelerate the surge as they begin returning to school after the summer vacation, said Dr. Shigeru Omi, top government medical advisor. He proposed schools curtail activity and urged high schools and colleges to return to online classes.

“Infections in Tokyo are showing no signs of slowing, and the severely tight medical systems will continue for a while,” he told a parliamentary session Wednesday.

The government has faced criticism for holding this summer’s Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics despite strong opposition from the public. Officials deny any direct link between the games and the spike in infections.

Comments

New top story from Time: ‘It’s a Catastrophe.’ Iranians Turn to Black Market for Vaccines as COVID-19 Deaths Hit New Highs

https://ift.tt/3AODY94 In January, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei made the sudden announcement that American and British-made COVID-19 vaccines would be “forbidden” as they were “completely untrustworthy.” Almost nine months later, Iran is facing its worst surge in the virus to date — a record number of deaths and infections per day with nearly 4.2 million COVID-19 patients across the country , and a healthcare system near collapse. “It’s a catastrophe; and there is nothing we can do,” said an anesthesiology resident in one of Tehran’s public hospitals who due to the current surge is tasked to oversee the ICU ward for COVID-19 patients. “We can’t treat them nor help them; so all I can ask people to do is to stay home and do whatever it takes to not get exposed.” The doctor requested anonymity in order to speak freely; others interviewed by TIME asked to be identified only by their first name. [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] The scale of the crisis is such ...

US against use of telecom equipment from Huawei: White House https://ift.tt/3t63bJ6

The United States is against the use of telecom equipment from untrusted vendors like Huawei, the White House said on Wednesday.

World hits coronavirus milestones amid fears worse to come https://ift.tt/2Bhgkcg

The world surpassed two sobering coronavirus milestones Sunday -- 500,000 confirmed deaths, 10 million confirmed cases -- and hit another high mark for daily new infections as governments that attempted reopenings continued to backtrack and warn that worse news could be yet to come. from IndiaTV: Google News Feed https://ift.tt/3g4bXjC

New top story from Time: Myanmar Security Forces Open Fire on Protesters, Killing Several and Marking Deadliest Day of Protests

https://ift.tt/3uFmav3 YANGON, Myanmar — Security forces in Myanmar opened fire and made mass arrests Sunday as they sought to break up protests against the military’s seizure of power, and a U.N. human rights official said it had “credible information” that 18 people were killed and 30 were wounded. That would be the highest single-day death toll among protesters who are demanding that the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi be restored to power after being ousted by a Feb. 1 coup. “Deaths reportedly occurred as a result of live ammunition fired into crowds in Yangon, Dawei, Mandalay, Myeik, Bago and Pokokku,” the U.N. Human Rights Office said in a statement referring to several cities, adding that the forces also used tear gas, flash-bang grenades and stun grenades. “We strongly condemn the escalating violence against protests in Myanmar and call on the military to immediately halt the use of force against peaceful protesters,” its spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani was...

New top story from Time: Albertsons CEO Vivek Sankaran Says His Stores Can Vaccinate More Americans. He Just Needs the Doses

https://ift.tt/2YsAwju (Miss this week’s Leadership Brief? This interview below was delivered to the inbox of Leadership Brief subscribers on Sunday morning, Jan. 31; to receive weekly emails of conversations with the world’s top CEOs and business decisionmakers, click here .) While President Joe Biden’s Cabinet and other senior-level appointments have generally received high marks for their overall competence and experience, there is one notable empty seat at the table. At a moment when the health of the nation, and the nation’s economy, is dependent on production and distribution issues , one can’t help but wish there were at least one private-sector business ninja in the Cabinet, ideally a person with manufacturing, logistics and supply-chain experience. Social media is atwitter with facetious calls for Amazon Prime to deliver the COVID-19 vaccine and take care of the problem in two days. My own half-facetious daydream is to put Walmart —which has 150 million people pass...

Pakistan: Seven killed, 70 injured in blast at Peshawar madrasa https://ift.tt/37Ed6xs

At least seven people were killed and 70 others injured in an explosion that ripped through Pakistan city Peshawar Tuesday morning, the Dawn reported. The blast was reported at a madrasa in Dir Colony. The cause of the blast is not yet known. Meanwhile, police and rescue officials reached the scene.

You May Be Surprised By What Your Nose Can Reveal About Your Health Did you know that everything about your nose, ranging from its appearance to the smelling ability as well as the colour of your snot reveals your health condition? Well, if you did not, it is about time you learn about it.

Did you know that everything about your nose, ranging from its appearance to the smelling ability as well as the colour of your snot reveals your health condition? Well, if you did not, it is about time you learn about it. https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

Verdict in Babri mosque demolition case today; UP on high alert https://ift.tt/2SoefR3

A special court in Lucknow will deliver the much-awaited judgment on Wednesday in the 1992 Babri Masjid demolition case in which BJP veterans LK Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi are among the accused. CBI judge SK Yadav had on September 16 directed all the 32 surviving accused to remain present in the court on the day of the judgment. The accused include former deputy prime minister Advani, former Union ministers Joshi and Uma Bharti, former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Kalyan Singh, besides Vinay Katiyar and Sadhvi Rithambara.

SFMTA Staffers Share their Favorite SF Bike Rides

SFMTA Staffers Share their Favorite SF Bike Rides By Eillie Anzilotti Happy Bike Month, San Francisco! To celebrate, we’re sharing some of SFMTA staffers’ favorite rides through the city. From protected bike lanes to quick-build projects to Slow Streets, the JFK Promenade, and the Great Highway, all of the routes roll through projects that the SFMTA has completed in the last several years to make biking through San Francisco easier, safer, and joyful. We hope you get some inspiration for your next ride--and share your favorite route with us! For easy trip planning, we’ve included each ride below on an interactive map . Jeffrey Tumlin, Director of Transportation: “I explore all of San Francisco by bike, but this is a standard trip: Starting from the Castro, I head up the Slow Street on Noe, where I like to admire the trees and people watch in Duboce Park. Then, I ride north on Scott to Fell Street along the Panhandle. When I reach the new JFK Promenade, it’s amazing how ...

New top story from Time: Prosecutor Who Led Michael Cohen Investigation Appointed to Replace U.S. Attorney Berman

https://ift.tt/2AYnYYU (NEW YORK) — A federal prosecutor who held a key role in the case against President Donald Trump’s former personal attorney worked Monday to restore calm to the Manhattan prosecutor’s office, following the abrupt ouster of her predecessor. Audrey Strauss, the newly appointed acting U.S. attorney, sent an email to the staff Saturday night within hours of the announcement by U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman that he would leave his position and would be replaced by her. The 72-year-old Strauss, a Democrat, will be only the second woman to lead one of the nation’s most premiere districts, home to famous mob trials, terrorism cases and now, probes involving the president’s allies. Her allies say she is a thoughtful, careful lawyer with decades of experience both as a prosecutor and defense attorney. The extraordinary departure of Berman, a Trump donor who won over critics with his investigations, started with Attorney General William Barr’s abrupt annou...

My precise view

Search This Blog