January 22, 2021

The Corona Virus numbers in Japan took a sharp turn upward in late November, but looking at the last 7 days, the trend appears to be leveling off. What is interesting is that the percentages of recovered cases per total cases and deaths per total cases do not change when viewed for the overall numbers or the last 7 days numbers. Japan is a very crowded country, especially the cities. I don't know if commuting to work in Tokyo has changed with the onset of the virus, but social distancing would have been impossible. Mask wearing is the norm during the flu season, even in an ordinary year. Riding the subways and trains in rush hour was "interesting" to say the least. I've had some adventures there. Anyway, I think any decision is premature. What would work against having the Olympics would be the reduced participation and scale that would result from the virus. Part of the tradition is the intermingling of the athletes and the camaraderie in the Olympic Village. This would have to be curtailed.

posted by Howard_T at 02:36 PM on January 22, 2021