Japan wrestles with timing for easing of COVID-19 restrictions
The Yomiuri Shimbun
Despite an increase in the COVID-19 vaccination rate, an exit strategy regarding restrictions is yet to be revealed as the government is aiming to first revise benchmarks that serve as guidelines for issuing or lifting a state of emergency. However, experts remain cautious.
The government uses five indicators to categorize the infection situation, including hospital occupancy and PCR test positivity rates. The indicators were devised before the outbreak of the highly contagious delta variant and are believed to be incompatible with the current infection situation.
The government wants the vaccination rate and the number of seriously ill patients to be the focus of the revised indicators. It also wants to ease the criteria regarding the number of new cases.
"After vaccinations, we must pursue economic and social recovery," Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga has said.
"What is reported daily is the number of new infections, but what is more important is the health care system," said economic revitalization minister Yasutoshi Nishimura at a meeting of the House of Representatives Rules and Administration Committee on Wednesday.
The current state of emergency expires on Sept. 12.
The government will "decide whether to end the emergency [on that date] after appropriately analyzing such factors as the vaccination rate, the number of seriously ill patients and hospital occupancy rates," Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato said at a press conference. "We will seek opinions from experts and proceed with discussions."
In contrast, experts say it is premature to come up with an exit strategy while the fifth wave of the pandemic is ongoing.
At a lower house Health, Labor and Welfare Committee meeting on Wednesday, Shigeru Omi, the head of a government advisory panel on COVID-19 response, said: "The spread of the virus has slowed in Tokyo, but it's too early to [determine] when it will peak, and infections may surge again."
Omi has reportedly said discussions on an exit strategy are in the final stage, but whether to release it will depend on the infection situation.
According to a government source, Omi told Health, Labor and Welfare Minister Norihisa Tamura on Tuesday that the indicators should not be changed until the emergency ends.
"We want to revise the indicators, but the experts do not intend to make ones," a Cabinet member said.
Read more from The Japan News at https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/
