The government is asking residents to refrain from going out in public if they have cold symptoms, based on a policy decided Tuesday during its Novel Coronavirus Response Headquarters meeting.
In regard to areas where an increasing number of people have been infected with the virus, general hospitals will accept patients suspected of being infected with the virus by regulating treatment hours and limiting access routes into facilities to keep them separate from other patients. The move is aimed at curbing the rapid spread of the disease and reducing the scale of the epidemic.
"It's important to reduce the increase rate of the number of patients as soon as possible to curb the spread of virus within the country," Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said during the meeting at the Prime Minister's Office. He also directed all the ministers to swiftly exercise countermeasures.
A team of specialists in infectious diseases will be formed to support areas where small outbreaks have sprouted up. The team was to be sent to Hokkaido on Tuesday.
According to the policy, the government has acknowledged that sporadic cases have occurred in which the origin of infection is unknown, and that small outbreaks have started up in some areas.
The policy stresses, "It is of extreme importance to keep an [infected] group from creating another group in order to end the epidemic promptly and take thorough measures."
The government is calling on members of the general public as well as local communities and companies to be aware of the importance of avoiding going out, working from home or using vacation time if they develop cold symptoms, including fevers.
It has not requested organizers across the board to refrain from holding events, but plans to ask them to reconsider the need to hold their events based on the spread of the infection as well as circumstances at the venues.
To ensure a smooth flow products necessary for the general public, including protective masks and disinfectant, the government is asking makers of these items to ramp up production to keep in stock.
The government will also continue border control measures that include restrictions on entry into Japan and advising citizens to avoid traveling abroad.
In areas where those infected are on the rise, the government is reducing the number of surveys on infection origin and health checks for close contacts, and is instead requesting that people avoid going out. If an outbreak is suspected of happening as a group, the government will examine the origin and consider a request to close facilities or ask citizens to skip events that could lead to outbreaks.
Read more from The Japan News at https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/
