Implementing effective measures against infectious diseases and preventing explosive growth in epidemics are essential for the maintenance of socioeconomic activities. The central and local governments should do their best.
A government subcommittee of experts on measures against the novel coronavirus has compiled a set of indicators for assessing infection status in regional areas. The guidelines are meant to serve as a yardstick for public authorities to take concrete measures.
The government has unveiled its plans to categorize prefectures from Stage 1, in which infections are sporadic, to Stage 4, where it is most serious, by setting up six indicators, including the degree of scarcity of hospital beds and the positive rate of PCR (polymerase chain reaction) tests.
If one-fifth or more of the beds for critically ill patients are filled, this will be classified as Stage 3, and if half or more are filled, Stage 4. Currently, some indicators for Tokyo are said to meet the criteria for Stage 3.
It will become easier for local governments to ask residents to refrain from leaving home or to suspend business operations as the central government specifies objective figures. Local governments need to cooperate closely with the central government and take proactive measures.
In response to the recurrence of the outbreak, many local governments have stepped up their countermeasures.
The Tokyo metropolitan government has asked restaurants serving alcohol to cut back their business hours by paying 200,000 yen in cash to each business that complies. The Okinawa prefectural government is asking people planning to visit the prefecture for such purposes as sightseeing to reconsider their plans. Hospital beds in the prefecture are said to already be full.
The government, concerned about the negative impact on the economy, is cautious about reissuing a state of emergency declaration based on the revised special measures law to cope with new strains of influenza. Citing reasons including the small number of critically ill patients, it said the situation is "different from that in April when the declaration was made."
The coronavirus shows no sign of letting up. The number of seriously ill patients is gradually increasing. Even if the declaration is avoided for the time being, public anxiety cannot be dispelled unless appropriate measures are taken.
The special measures law specifies that prefectural governors are responsible for requesting the suspension of businesses, among other measures, and defines the central government's role as "overall adjustment" alongside local governments and related organizations. However, the central government must not stand by when measures that have a major impact on society are taken.
It is vital for the central government to take the initiative in tackling the problem by stepping up efforts to secure financial resources for cash handouts and support the establishment of PCR test centers.
When Gov. Hirofumi Yoshimura of Osaka Prefecture called for encouraging the use of mouthwash, panic buying broke out. It has not been reported to have been proved effective in preventing people from becoming infected or developing serious symptoms. Not causing confusion is urged.
Shigeru Omi, chairman of the subcommittee, urged people to thoroughly sterilize their hands and wear masks as much as possible, and refrain from dining in large groups, even if people return to their hometowns during the Bon Festival holidays. It is important for each person to try to take steps, keeping in mind a new way of life.
-- The original Japanese article appeared in The Yomiuri Shimbun on Aug. 8, 2020.
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