🇯🇵Japan’s Special Advisor to the Cabinet @YoichiTakahashi shows utter disregard to more than 10,000 deaths suffered, comparing the statistics with major countries saying, “Japan’s only a ‘RIPPLE’. To call off #Tokyo2020 for this lol” causing uproar asking the Cabinet to fire him.
A hashtag #高橋洋一内閣官房参与の更迭を求めます calling for his replacement is trending now in Japan with over 30,000 tweets in less than a day. Opposition parties are likely to raise this incident in the parliament to question if the Cabinet shares the same perception.
WHO Western Pacific reports that as of 7 May 2021, 🇯🇵Japan has recorded 4,871 cases in the last 24 hours, 620,994 cumulative confirmed cases, and 10,589 deaths. The number of new cases and deaths are dwarfed only by 🇵🇭The Philippines, ranking SECOND WORST in the region.
Despite the accomplishments you have made for the sake of humanity, as a vaccine provider, safety and security of health workers should take PRIORITY over ANY international event participants, precisely because of the critical role they play in the fight against COVID19.
The vaccination rate of health workers in the host country of #Tokyo2020 stands at a mere 25% as of end of April, with local population vaccinated at even lesser rate of <1%. It's THEM who the GoJ should prioritize and so do you. @BioNTech_Group
While we, as citizens of the #Tokyo2020 host nation, appreciate your generosity to offer your vaccines to the selected people participating in the Games, the REST of the population is in dire need of being vaccinated, and MOST CRITICALLY, the medical community.