Novel coronavirus infections are surging again. The government should take this matter seriously and take every possible measure to address the situation.
The number of new daily cases in Japan has reached a record-high level. Noteworthy is that the pandemic is spreading across the country, including in Osaka Prefecture and Hokkaido, in addition to Tokyo.
Experts believe that this is the "third wave" of the pandemic, following the outbreak early in the year and a resurgence in summer. Vigilance must not be neglected amid the approaching winter season, when people are likely to spend more time indoors, in poorly ventilated spaces.
The government has asked universities and workplaces to exercise caution with regard to drinking parties and dormitory life in order to strengthen measures against infection clusters. The government also plans to ask restaurants to ventilate and control humidity levels.
Information for foreigners will apparently be disseminated in multiple languages. How to get technical interns who live in groups to avoid crowded settings is an important issue that must be thoroughly addressed.
There have been endless cases of asymptomatic young people transmitting the virus to elderly people and others who live with them. People should thoroughly implement basic measures, such as wearing masks and avoiding the so-called Three Cs of closed spaces, crowded places and close-contact settings.
The development of a vaccine has reportedly entered the final stage in the United States. However, it will likely take some time before many people in Japan can receive the vaccination.
The government needs to work with local governments and medical institutions to expand PCR tests and other related matters, and continue to work to secure hospital beds.
The Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry has announced that about 25,000 facilities have been designated as "medical treatment and testing institutions" to receive people who develop fevers. The aim is to avoid confusion caused by the concentration of consultations at public health centers, which are understaffed, and to provide prompt treatment at nearby medical facilities.
However, many local governments have not disclosed the names of the designated institutions, partly because the institutions are concerned about harmful rumors.
In the first wave of the pandemic, there were a number of cases in which public health centers and hospitals were unable to deal with situations promptly. Delays in receiving medical treatments led to people becoming seriously ill in some cases. The new framework must prevent such cases from occurring.
To prepare for a simultaneous pandemic of the novel coronavirus and influenza, it is essential that prefectures and public health centers, as well as medical institutions and doctors' associations, work together and establish a system that can firmly provide information on where people can be tested and receive medical treatment.
Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga has said that declaring a state of emergency and reviewing the demand-stimulating "Go To" campaigns are not necessary at this stage. However, if the pandemic continues to spread, the prime minister will need to consider reviewing the tourism support program.
-- The original Japanese article appeared in The Yomiuri Shimbun on Nov. 14, 2020.
Read more from The Japan News at https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/
