The world views Japan of being incompetent in dealing with coronavirus. Reportedly, the government appears to be secretive and not transparent regarding the virus’ development.
For instance, just recently, Japanese PM Shinzo Abe asked schools to close in March without any clear elaboration. Ever since, many have suspected that it was due to the COVID-19.
But there is a more fundamental matter concerning Tokyo’s stance in handling the global epidemic. Since the first outbreak two months ago, the government has denied every permission to conduct public tests regarding the possible virus transmission.
With no exhaustive reasoning, people can only speculate the reason why government has been doing so. Perhaps, the government does not want to show its flaws, similar to the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster. Or maybe, Japan does not want any fear that may threaten the upcoming Olympics in the country.
“It looks like Abe is sacrificing the public interest on the altar of the Olympics and is determined to prevent headlines of an escalating outbreak,” said Jeff Kingston, a political science professor at Temple University Japan.
“He has shirked and shifted responsibility in a sluggish crisis response and has tried to bury the bad news just like they do in dictatorships,” he added.
If it were the truth, the government’s intention might be understandable as they already invested a massive amount of cash in the event’s preparation. Additionally, several events throughout Asia have faced cancellation due to the outbreak.
But again, being understandable does not equal to being right. Arguably, the safety of the people should have been the upmost priority for the government.
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Coronavirus Updates in Japan
So far, figures have indicated that Japan currently has more than 214 confirmed cases. However, the government apparently sees ‘no’ coronavirus outbreak in the country.
The more than 200 cases were the updates on Thursday. Previously, on Wednesday, there was a total of 186 cases confirmed by the authorities.
However, the 200 cases did not include the recent 705 cases happening in Diamond Princess cruise ship. Authorities quarantined the ship in Yokohama to prevent further transmission.
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