No jab, no drink: Saitama wins the prize for most pointless vax-pass policy

Although prefectural governors in Japan can’t enact vaccine requirements as onerous as those in Austria or Australia, the governor of Saitama Prefecture Morihito Ono (pictured) rubbed both of his brain cells together to come up possibly the world’s most pointless one: no jab, no drink.

During the quasi-emergency measures (i.e. bar and restaurants (B&Rs) closing at 21:00) in Saitama from 21 Jan to 21 Mar, Gov Ono told certified B&Rs [1] to only offer alcohol to people with certification of vaccination or negative test results (called the vaccination/test package). In addition, people with the package weren’t subject to group limits, whereas people without the package not only couldn’t buy alcohol but also were limited to groups of 4. 

So theoretically a bar could have all seats taken up by unvaccined people but wouldn’t be able to serve any of them a beer. Alternatively, all patrons could be triple jabbed, but none would be able to buy a beer after 20:30. 

The Saitama Medical Practitioners Association came out against the package, saying the incorrect message that the Covid vaccines prevent infection could give people a false sense of safety. When the association asked for data showing the package was effective at preventing infections, the prefectural government admitted there wasn’t any. And considering how quickly vaccine effectiveness turns negative, the “no-jab, non-drink” policy could have conceivably meant more Saitama drinkers being served both types of Corona. 

Gov Ono decided to lift the policy last week saying it had “served its purpose”, but I’ll do what he won’t and look to see whether preventing the unjabbed from boozing had any discernible effect by comparing Saitama’s average weekly cases per 100,000 to those in neighbouring Chiba.

Like every other prefecture but Saitama, Chiba let people drink booze in bars without having to be jabbed or tested first, but like Saitama, ordered B&Rs to close early from 21 Jan to 21 Mar. 

If anything, Chiba did better.

But Gov Ono’s “no jab, no drink” policy confirms something I’ve noted previously: prefectures full of farms may have stupider governors…

Japan's most moronic governor?

…but urbanized prefectures have governors who are more into pharma.

Gov Omura: a pharma sales rep moonlighting as a politician

[1] Basically, the prefectural government confirmed that the staff wear masks and hand-cleaner is placed near the door.