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Tokyo’s First Female Governor Sails to Re-Election Even as Virus Cases Rise Tokyo’s First Female Governor Sails to Re-Election Even as Virus Cases Rise
(10 days later)
TOKYO — In rewarding Tokyo’s first female governor, Yuriko Koike, with a second term on Sunday, voters endorsed her highly visible leadership as the sprawling metropolis has avoided the kind of spiraling death toll from the coronavirus seen in other world capitals.TOKYO — In rewarding Tokyo’s first female governor, Yuriko Koike, with a second term on Sunday, voters endorsed her highly visible leadership as the sprawling metropolis has avoided the kind of spiraling death toll from the coronavirus seen in other world capitals.
But a recent resurgence in cases in Tokyo has made clear that her challenge is far from over.But a recent resurgence in cases in Tokyo has made clear that her challenge is far from over.
Even as Ms. Koike, 67, cruised to victory on Sunday, with exit polls by Japanese news media showing her winning 60 percent of the vote, Tokyo reported 111 new infections, its fourth straight day over 100.Even as Ms. Koike, 67, cruised to victory on Sunday, with exit polls by Japanese news media showing her winning 60 percent of the vote, Tokyo reported 111 new infections, its fourth straight day over 100.
The creeping increase in cases has started to raise anxieties that the capital may have to reinstate elements of the nearly two-month state of emergency that it emerged from at the end of May. That growing caseload was felt in the election: About 15 percent of voters cast their ballots before Sunday, and turnout on Election Day was just above 37 percent.The creeping increase in cases has started to raise anxieties that the capital may have to reinstate elements of the nearly two-month state of emergency that it emerged from at the end of May. That growing caseload was felt in the election: About 15 percent of voters cast their ballots before Sunday, and turnout on Election Day was just above 37 percent.
During the emergency period, in which the government issued voluntary requests for businesses to limit operations and residents to stay home, Ms. Koike made herself the face of Tokyo’s response to the virus. She anchored near-nightly news conferences to deliver daily test figures and advice on how to avoid infections.During the emergency period, in which the government issued voluntary requests for businesses to limit operations and residents to stay home, Ms. Koike made herself the face of Tokyo’s response to the virus. She anchored near-nightly news conferences to deliver daily test figures and advice on how to avoid infections.
Ms. Koike presented a stark contrast to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who often appeared stiff in front of the news media. He was widely criticized when he posted an awkward video on Twitter showing himself at home drinking tea with his dog. Ms. Koike was a much more relaxed presence when she appeared in a jovial conversation with Japan’s most famous YouTube star, Hikakin.Ms. Koike presented a stark contrast to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who often appeared stiff in front of the news media. He was widely criticized when he posted an awkward video on Twitter showing himself at home drinking tea with his dog. Ms. Koike was a much more relaxed presence when she appeared in a jovial conversation with Japan’s most famous YouTube star, Hikakin.
“Seeing her face on television every day made me feel comfortable,” Yuki Matsuura, 70, said as she voted in the Setagaya ward of Tokyo. “I think that she is doing the best that she can in a very difficult situation.”“Seeing her face on television every day made me feel comfortable,” Yuki Matsuura, 70, said as she voted in the Setagaya ward of Tokyo. “I think that she is doing the best that she can in a very difficult situation.”
Ms. Koike said she was unlikely to request citywide business closings as she did during the earlier state of emergency. She said that she would prefer a “pinpointed” approach and that she wanted to establish a Tokyo version of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Ms. Koike said she was unlikely to request citywide business closings as she did during the earlier state of emergency. She said that she would prefer a “pinpointed” approach and that she wanted to establish a Tokyo version of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
A total of 22 challengers vied for the post. Ms. Koike’s main rivals for the governor’s seat tried to differentiate themselves by staking out positions on further delaying, or even canceling, the Tokyo Olympics. Mr. Abe and the International Olympic Committee announced in March that the Games would be postponed from 2020 to 2021 because of the pandemic, and Ms. Koike has stuck to the official line.A total of 22 challengers vied for the post. Ms. Koike’s main rivals for the governor’s seat tried to differentiate themselves by staking out positions on further delaying, or even canceling, the Tokyo Olympics. Mr. Abe and the International Olympic Committee announced in March that the Games would be postponed from 2020 to 2021 because of the pandemic, and Ms. Koike has stuck to the official line.
Same-sex partnerships were another dividing line in the race. All three of Ms. Koike’s most significant opponents expressed support for them: Kenji Utsunomiya, a former president of the Japan Bar Association who was backed by the country’s largest opposition parties, including the Communist Party; Taisuke Ono, a former adviser to the governor of Kumamoto in southern Japan; and Taro Yamamoto, a former actor and the head of a newly founded party.Same-sex partnerships were another dividing line in the race. All three of Ms. Koike’s most significant opponents expressed support for them: Kenji Utsunomiya, a former president of the Japan Bar Association who was backed by the country’s largest opposition parties, including the Communist Party; Taisuke Ono, a former adviser to the governor of Kumamoto in southern Japan; and Taro Yamamoto, a former actor and the head of a newly founded party.
When asked about the issue during an online question session, Ms. Koike said she “didn’t know” whether she would support such a policy.When asked about the issue during an online question session, Ms. Koike said she “didn’t know” whether she would support such a policy.
The victory on Sunday for Ms. Koike, an ultraconservative former defense minister who speaks English and Arabic, was something of a turnabout for her. Just a few years ago, she had seemed to have fallen out of favor with the public: In 2017, an upstart party she founded to challenge Mr. Abe’s governing Liberal Democratic Party in national elections took a drubbing, forcing her to admit “total defeat.”The victory on Sunday for Ms. Koike, an ultraconservative former defense minister who speaks English and Arabic, was something of a turnabout for her. Just a few years ago, she had seemed to have fallen out of favor with the public: In 2017, an upstart party she founded to challenge Mr. Abe’s governing Liberal Democratic Party in national elections took a drubbing, forcing her to admit “total defeat.”
Until the pandemic, Ms. Koike’s record of achievements had been thin, and some of her decisions have drawn criticism.Until the pandemic, Ms. Koike’s record of achievements had been thin, and some of her decisions have drawn criticism.
Not long after she was elected in 2016, she postponed a controversial move of Tokyo’s famous seafood market from its historic location in Tsukiji when it emerged that contaminants in the groundwater at a newly built site far exceeded environmental limits. But she went through with the move a year later even as tenants suspected that the metropolitan government had suppressed information about the safety of the new site.Not long after she was elected in 2016, she postponed a controversial move of Tokyo’s famous seafood market from its historic location in Tsukiji when it emerged that contaminants in the groundwater at a newly built site far exceeded environmental limits. But she went through with the move a year later even as tenants suspected that the metropolitan government had suppressed information about the safety of the new site.
Updated July 7, 2020
The coronavirus can stay aloft for hours in tiny droplets in stagnant air, infecting people as they inhale, mounting scientific evidence suggests. This risk is highest in crowded indoor spaces with poor ventilation, and may help explain super-spreading events reported in meatpacking plants, churches and restaurants. It’s unclear how often the virus is spread via these tiny droplets, or aerosols, compared with larger droplets that are expelled when a sick person coughs or sneezes, or transmitted through contact with contaminated surfaces, said Linsey Marr, an aerosol expert at Virginia Tech. Aerosols are released even when a person without symptoms exhales, talks or sings, according to Dr. Marr and more than 200 other experts, who have outlined the evidence in an open letter to the World Health Organization.
Common symptoms include fever, a dry cough, fatigue and difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. Some of these symptoms overlap with those of the flu, making detection difficult, but runny noses and stuffy sinuses are less common. The C.D.C. has also added chills, muscle pain, sore throat, headache and a new loss of the sense of taste or smell as symptoms to look out for. Most people fall ill five to seven days after exposure, but symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as many as 14 days.
Scientists around the country have tried to identify everyday materials that do a good job of filtering microscopic particles. In recent tests, HEPA furnace filters scored high, as did vacuum cleaner bags, fabric similar to flannel pajamas and those of 600-count pillowcases. Other materials tested included layered coffee filters and scarves and bandannas. These scored lower, but still captured a small percentage of particles.
A commentary published this month on the website of the British Journal of Sports Medicine points out that covering your face during exercise “comes with issues of potential breathing restriction and discomfort” and requires “balancing benefits versus possible adverse events.” Masks do alter exercise, says Cedric X. Bryant, the president and chief science officer of the American Council on Exercise, a nonprofit organization that funds exercise research and certifies fitness professionals. “In my personal experience,” he says, “heart rates are higher at the same relative intensity when you wear a mask.” Some people also could experience lightheadedness during familiar workouts while masked, says Len Kravitz, a professor of exercise science at the University of New Mexico.
The steroid, dexamethasone, is the first treatment shown to reduce mortality in severely ill patients, according to scientists in Britain. The drug appears to reduce inflammation caused by the immune system, protecting the tissues. In the study, dexamethasone reduced deaths of patients on ventilators by one-third, and deaths of patients on oxygen by one-fifth.
The coronavirus emergency relief package gives many American workers paid leave if they need to take time off because of the virus. It gives qualified workers two weeks of paid sick leave if they are ill, quarantined or seeking diagnosis or preventive care for coronavirus, or if they are caring for sick family members. It gives 12 weeks of paid leave to people caring for children whose schools are closed or whose child care provider is unavailable because of the coronavirus. It is the first time the United States has had widespread federally mandated paid leave, and includes people who don’t typically get such benefits, like part-time and gig economy workers. But the measure excludes at least half of private-sector workers, including those at the country’s largest employers, and gives small employers significant leeway to deny leave.
So far, the evidence seems to show it does. A widely cited paper published in April suggests that people are most infectious about two days before the onset of coronavirus symptoms and estimated that 44 percent of new infections were a result of transmission from people who were not yet showing symptoms. Recently, a top expert at the World Health Organization stated that transmission of the coronavirus by people who did not have symptoms was “very rare,” but she later walked back that statement.
Touching contaminated objects and then infecting ourselves with the germs is not typically how the virus spreads. But it can happen. A number of studies of flu, rhinovirus, coronavirus and other microbes have shown that respiratory illnesses, including the new coronavirus, can spread by touching contaminated surfaces, particularly in places like day care centers, offices and hospitals. But a long chain of events has to happen for the disease to spread that way. The best way to protect yourself from coronavirus — whether it’s surface transmission or close human contact — is still social distancing, washing your hands, not touching your face and wearing masks.
A study by European scientists is the first to document a strong statistical link between genetic variations and Covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus. Having Type A blood was linked to a 50 percent increase in the likelihood that a patient would need to get oxygen or to go on a ventilator, according to the new study.
If air travel is unavoidable, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. Most important: Wash your hands often, and stop touching your face. If possible, choose a window seat. A study from Emory University found that during flu season, the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window, as people sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people. Disinfect hard surfaces. When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use disinfecting wipes to clean the hard surfaces at your seat like the head and arm rest, the seatbelt buckle, the remote, screen, seat back pocket and the tray table. If the seat is hard and nonporous or leather or pleather, you can wipe that down, too. (Using wipes on upholstered seats could lead to a wet seat and spreading of germs rather than killing them.)
If you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus or think you have, and have a fever or symptoms like a cough or difficulty breathing, call a doctor. They should give you advice on whether you should be tested, how to get tested, and how to seek medical treatment without potentially infecting or exposing others.
She also led an initiative to ban smoking in most indoor venues in Tokyo.She also led an initiative to ban smoking in most indoor venues in Tokyo.
Burnishing her credentials with hard-line conservatives, she was the first Tokyo governor to refuse during an annual ceremony to pay tribute to Koreans who died in a massacre after the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923. She also revoked a lease of public land to a new school for ethnic Korean residents, many descended from people who were brought to Japan as forced labor before and during World War II, when Japan occupied the Korean Peninsula.Burnishing her credentials with hard-line conservatives, she was the first Tokyo governor to refuse during an annual ceremony to pay tribute to Koreans who died in a massacre after the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923. She also revoked a lease of public land to a new school for ethnic Korean residents, many descended from people who were brought to Japan as forced labor before and during World War II, when Japan occupied the Korean Peninsula.
Surveys of employees of the metropolitan government, which oversees a region of 14 million people, indicate that she is far less popular among her city’s staff than she has been with voters.Surveys of employees of the metropolitan government, which oversees a region of 14 million people, indicate that she is far less popular among her city’s staff than she has been with voters.
As an incumbent, Ms. Koike started with a considerable advantage, particularly given that the Japanese news media tends not to ask tough questions of candidates or investigate their records. The only thing that came close to a challenge to Ms. Koike were rumors that she had falsified her graduation from Cairo University in Egypt, prompting the Egyptian Embassy in Tokyo to post confirmation on its Facebook page that she had received a diploma.As an incumbent, Ms. Koike started with a considerable advantage, particularly given that the Japanese news media tends not to ask tough questions of candidates or investigate their records. The only thing that came close to a challenge to Ms. Koike were rumors that she had falsified her graduation from Cairo University in Egypt, prompting the Egyptian Embassy in Tokyo to post confirmation on its Facebook page that she had received a diploma.
“The Japanese media likes scandals, but they don’t really do any serious policy review or anything that really affects our livelihood,” said Koichi Nakano, a political scientist at Sophia University in Tokyo. The Japanese media “fails to inform us or fails to ask questions of the incumbents who have a huge advantage and owe us an explanation of their past record.”“The Japanese media likes scandals, but they don’t really do any serious policy review or anything that really affects our livelihood,” said Koichi Nakano, a political scientist at Sophia University in Tokyo. The Japanese media “fails to inform us or fails to ask questions of the incumbents who have a huge advantage and owe us an explanation of their past record.”
Ms. Koike has also managed to portray herself as a renegade. Although she started her political career as a member of the Liberal Democratic Party and served briefly as defense minister during Mr. Abe’s first term as prime minister, she has run for governor as an independent. Some analysts say she is more adept at political performance than actual policy.Ms. Koike has also managed to portray herself as a renegade. Although she started her political career as a member of the Liberal Democratic Party and served briefly as defense minister during Mr. Abe’s first term as prime minister, she has run for governor as an independent. Some analysts say she is more adept at political performance than actual policy.
“She is very good at presenting catchy slogans or sound-bite phrases,” said Jiro Yamaguchi, a professor of political science at Hosei University in Tokyo. “I don’t think she has achieved substantive policies during her first term, but she often appears in television programs, especially after the outbreak of Covid-19, and she pretends to handle the problems.”“She is very good at presenting catchy slogans or sound-bite phrases,” said Jiro Yamaguchi, a professor of political science at Hosei University in Tokyo. “I don’t think she has achieved substantive policies during her first term, but she often appears in television programs, especially after the outbreak of Covid-19, and she pretends to handle the problems.”
Kazuhisa Tanaka, 63, who was voting in the Setagaya ward on Sunday afternoon, said he had cast his vote for the incumbent by default. “I don’t think that Koike has done the best job,” he said. “But who else would I vote for?”Kazuhisa Tanaka, 63, who was voting in the Setagaya ward on Sunday afternoon, said he had cast his vote for the incumbent by default. “I don’t think that Koike has done the best job,” he said. “But who else would I vote for?”
Hikari Hida, Makiko Inoue and Hisako Ueno contributed reporting.Hikari Hida, Makiko Inoue and Hisako Ueno contributed reporting.