In less than a month after the blanket end of the state of emergency, novel coronavirus infections continue to spread rapidly. Recognizing that this is already the fourth wave of infections, measures should be thoroughly taken.
In Osaka Prefecture, more than 1,000 people have been newly infected with the virus on consecutive days. The pace of growth is faster than that during the expansion in the third wave. The central government intends to apply the pre-emergency priority measures in effect in four prefectures in Aichi, Chiba, Kanagawa and Saitama in addition to other prefectures, including Osaka and Tokyo.
Even when the state of emergency completely ended on March 21, there were concerns that the pandemic had not been sufficiently brought under control and a rebound in the number of infection cases was inevitable. With the number of people moving increasing ahead of the new fiscal year's start in April, the early arrival of the fourth wave cannot be said to have been unexpected.
The spread of coronavirus variants is also a cause for concern. They are believed to be highly contagious and even young people could become seriously ill. Experts predict that in May the majority of infections in many regions will be of people infected with variants.
The outbreak of mass infections has spread not only to eating and drinking establishments but also to workplaces, facilities for the elderly and schools. Recently, the turnout of people even in areas where the pre-emergency priority measures have been applied has not significantly decreased.
Unless the spread of infections stops, the central government seems to have to consider declaring another state of emergency.
In order to contain the spread of infections, it is important to call on people to refrain from going out for nonessential, nonurgent purposes and to wear masks at dining establishments except when actually eating or drinking. However, it is essential for the central government not only to urge the public to take action, but also to take care of issues such as expanding PCR tests and securing sufficient hospital beds for COVID-19 patients.
It has been pointed out at an early stage that medical institutions need to share their roles according to the symptoms of patients. However, since many private hospitals are cautious about accepting patients and there are not enough nurses, the coordination remains insufficient. Strong leadership from prefectural governors and medical associations is needed.
Isn't it possible to devise ways such as making effective use of temporary facilities to take care of patients with mild or moderate symptoms? The central government should take the initiative in exercising wisdom for these purposes.
Vaccines, which are seen as an ace in the hole, have finally begun to be administered to the elderly. However, due to insufficient supplies, Japan lags far behind other countries in inoculations. A shortage of medical professionals to administer vaccinations is also expected. The vaccination system must be put in place as soon as possible.
So far, the public and businesses have cooperated from their respective standpoints to overcome the second and third waves of infections through such measures as refraining from going out and shortening operating hours.
In the meantime, the political and administrative capacities, which have failed to find effective solutions, are called into question. The central government must fulfill its responsibilities.
-- The original Japanese article appeared in The Yomiuri Shimbun on April 16, 2021.
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