Japan tries public shaming to control Covid outbreak.
The Japanese government has started to publicly shame people who break quarantine rules in a bid to control its rising coronavirus outbreak.
This week, three rule-breakers, who after recently returning from abroad avoided contact with authorities during their 14-day mandatory quarantine, were publicly announced.
The trio all tested negative for the virus at the airport but subsequently failed to report their health condition and did not respond to video calls, as required under Japan’s Covid-19 protocols.
The announcement sparked a flurry of speculation among social media users about the details of those identified, such as their jobs and locations.
“If the publicising of people’s names makes them ashamed, then that will work on Japanese people,” said Mafumi Usui, a professor of social psychology at Niigata Seiryo University.
“If people feel embarrassed, then that will stop others breaking the rules. It comes down to the atmosphere or mood in society at the time.”
Tokyo is under its fourth state of emergency, as Japan logs record case numbers.
With cases tripling in Tokyo since the Olympic Games commenced on July 23, the new spike is believed to be driven by the more transmissible Delta variant.
The Japanese government is hoping ‘naming and shaming’ rule-breakers in a relatively rule-bound and group-oriented society will bring case numbers down.
When borders reopen to international tourists, it is unclear whether foreign visitors will also be publicly shamed for failing to follow the country’s Covid protocols.
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