Here in the Netherlands we're warned that postal packages delivery might be delayed, but I ordered some computer speakers in Friday and got them on Saturday ... same with the computer screen I ordered a few weeks back (one week into the self isolation) got it next day But although the Netherlands isn't in the list of Japan Post, but I still decided to use DHL just to be sure, we'll see how long that will take ... I'm living near Schiphol Amsterdam Airport, usually one of the busiest hubs in Europe .... hardly any planes taking off or landing aren't there about 220 countries in total in the world?
I got an email from buyee that 5 parcels of mine that were collected by Japan Post between 18th March and 31st March were sent back, these were all SAL packages. Apparently the way surface air lift works is it sits around in an airport warehouse waiting for space on an available flight to a destination and then it gets bunged in whatever hold they can squeeze it in. Since the precipitous drop in air travel many countries don't have direct flights from Japan anymore so that form of airmail is gone for most of Europe. DHL works to some extent because DHL have their own freight planes, I believe their major European hub is in Frankfurt and then it goes on to smaller hubs in other countries like the UK. I got a parcel from Amazon recently that took about twice as long as usual but at least it got here. The problem with DHL is it costs about 3 times as much as SAL so it's a real pain in the nuts to have to shell out that much.
In Spain, the packages are received from Japan. But if the package comes from abroad by post, they will retain it, the postmen have orders not to deliver the package and cannot pick it up either. I'm still waiting.
Unfortunately you can add Sweden, Norway and Denmark to the list from April 10. Sakuraism would send a package of used DVD to me before that date, around 5th. It was stuck at Kansai airport for 5 days and then it was returned to him. But as what I could see there's no problem sending the other way, but with some restrictions regarding home delivery.
NHK's Japanese-language news is reporting that actress Okae Kumiko passed away this morning at the age of 63 as a result of Covid-related pneumonia. Outside of Japan she was probably best known for her voice actress work for Studio Ghibli movies including 'The Cat Returns'. Link to NHK News article with video: https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20200423/k10012401871000.html
Video report by BBC News from a hospital in 'Tokyo' (actually Kawasaki) about how staff there are coping with critically ill Covid-19 patients: https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-asia-52400084/coronavirus-tokyo-hospitals-trying-to-stay-ahead According to the report, Japanese hospitals don't have infectious disease units, instead specialist medical institutions are normally used, but such is the pressure on medical services that hospitals such as the one in the report have had to convert their critical care units so that they can treat patients with Covid-19.
Maybe it's just me, but I still don't get it why journalist insist on visiting hospital wards like this, i've see this plenty of times her in the Netherlands as well, a journalist giving a tour of an ICU They usually then tell us that the camera man isn't allowed inside due to contamination risk and I'm just think ... well, you shouldn't be there as well what if this BBC journalist was carrying the virus, it's now assumed that even people not showing signs of infection yet can already spread the disease So what on earth possesses you to visit a crowded nursing station? Stay away, let the staff do their work, it's hard enough for them as it is (ok, rant over)
I've just had my first Covid jab today (13.25 GMT) - Pfizer-BioNTech. I'll edit/update this post with any side effects 'if' and when.
T.b.h .... the whole handling of the crisis here in the NL is starting more and more to look like an utter shambles .... In stead of trying to eradicate the virus the aim is to let the virus spread to achieve her immunity ... it's ok to let people get invected ... as long as our hospitals can handle it .... (which due to 'modernising' our healthcare (read blatant cutbacks) was much sooner then in Germany of Belgium) the rollout of vaccinations is slow and muddled ... and 'coronasceptics' get plenty of opportunity to peddle their Qanon shit in the media, quickly eroding any support for any measures that might bring us out of this shit. there's an advisory body (OMT) which meets before the Health secretary and Prime Minister hold their press conference about new measures on Tuesday .... and the scenario is ... OMT meets, advices the government, ministers meet based on that during the weekend or on Friday to discuss the advice then on Sunday all proposed measures are leaked to the press .... so on Monday twitter and social media explodes and on Tuesday only those measures are implemented that didn't generate a public outcry on Monday rinse, repeat .... on monday, item in a current affairs program about 'peace protestors' (which I take to mean peaceful protestors) guy: "well, if everybody just exercises and eats healthy food, and uses vitamin D, then there is no problem" and the only thing the interviewer said was: "do you really think that?" .... :/ we used to be a rather levelheaded society .... but nowadays ...
One thing this last year has shown me. If aliens came to earth looking for intelligent life, its unlikely they'd find any.
if the video does not show watch the video here John Cleese after the door of the fridge closes .... "so, can we have your liver then?" but to be honest, most people are decent folks ... it's just that the morons are so vocal ...
I am just waiting for normal post to resume It's been almost 2 years already. Most Japanese stores still don't ship to my country at all, with "registered" surface mail being the only option if any and I don't trust that. Amazon JP is an option but it's quite expensive.
Covid management in Indonesia was terrible at the beginning but today I'm surprised that Japan now has more covid cases than indonesia