The novel coronavirus that has caught the world off guard has caused more than 900 deaths in Japan and halted economic and social activity in various ways. Acute anxiety is spreading among the people. We must firmly confront infectious disease risks, which have been a blind spot until now. The Yomiuri Shimbun has compiled a set of seven urgent recommendations as a prescription for building a society resilient to infectious diseases.
Shortly after the end of World War II, Japan was in the midst of a constant battle with infectious diseases. In a 1956 health and welfare white paper, tuberculosis was declared a "national affliction." Successive policies implemented by the government, including medical examinations, remedial treatments, vaccinations, and the improvement of hygiene, helped the country succeed in bringing communicable diseases under control, including not only tuberculosis, but also dysentery, diphtheria and polio. Only a decade later, a health and welfare white paper declared that infectious diseases were "on the verge of being eliminated from our lives in the near future." The focus of health care then shifted to lifestyle-related illnesses such as cancer.
Half a century has passed since then. As a result of becoming one of the world's most hygienic nations, we may have neglected preparations against infectious diseases. During the 30 years of the Heisei era, the number of public health centers in the country was almost halved. The response to the coronavirus epidemic has put a lot of pressure on frontline workers at such facilities.
Our country has managed to evade an explosive spread of the coronavirus, at least for now. But it is too early to relax. Three waves of the Spanish flu spread across Japan, starting in 1918. It would be no surprise if a second wave of coronavirus infections struck at any moment.
In the event of a national emergency, the central government should be at the forefront of presenting a comprehensive strategy for dealing with the situation. If it is left up to local governments, measures will not be as thorough as they could be. Is the health care system adequate? What will happen to the economy, employment, and household finances? Most importantly, how can we get on with our lives in the "new normal?" It is necessary to dispel people's anxieties and create an environment in which they can live with peace of mind.
It is time for the central and local governments to join forces to build a crisis-resilient health care system. In order to prevent the collapse of medical care, the Tokyo metropolitan government and prefectures must have a plan for securing hospital beds in the event of an epidemic. It is impossible for medical institutions to single-handedly accept infected patients when an outbreak occurs. Medical institutions that will accept patients with severe or moderate symptoms must be designated in advance. Likewise, accommodations for patients with mild symptoms or asymptomatic cases must also be allocated.
The PCR testing capacity of Japan is significantly lower than in Western countries. At the outset of the epidemic, a number of people were unable to undergo PCR tests immediately, causing confusion. A system must be established to make it possible to conduct 100,000 PCR tests per day. People should be able to receive various tests, including antigen and antibody tests. The dependence on China for such supplies as masks and protective clothing put a strain on the supply and demand of such goods in Japan. Supply chains should be reviewed to encourage manufacturers to return to domestic production.
The prospects for business activities have become uncertain and job insecurity is spreading. The government should support the domestic economy through such measures as using relief funds to inject capital into private companies.
The government's 100,000 yen relief aid is taking time to reach the people. It would be possible to speed up the process by linking individual My Number IDs to bank accounts into which funds could be paid, by revising a law concerning the My Number system.
Countermeasures against infectious diseases are national crisis management measures. It is essential to have a minister of state in charge of infectious diseases as a permanent portfolio, with a powerful executive office to be established within the Cabinet Secretariat to provide support. A commissioner for infectious disease control and crisis management should be placed at the top of the secretariat to carefully explain the government's efforts to the public.
The central government and the Tokyo metropolitan government have had different policies regarding the category of industries subject to business suspension requests, and the duration of such measures, making coordination difficult. Business suspension requests and the lifting of such requests have a huge impact on social activities, making it desirable for such actions to be taken as one economic zone. Instead of letting the prefectures make decisions on their own, why not introduce a system of government-led coordination? The government should also provide generous financial support packages so that businesses are able to cooperate with suspension requests with peace of mind.
Elementary, junior and senior high schools across the country were forced to close in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak. In order to secure learning opportunities for students, even amid a protracted period of school closures, an environment for online education linking schools with homes should be improved quickly.
Amid today's global society in which people and goods easily move across national borders, the speed at which infectious diseases can sweep across the world is incomparable to the past.
International cooperation is essential in the fight against infectious diseases. In response to the confrontation between the United States and China, U.S. President Donald Trump has announced his intention to withdraw from the World Health Organization. Japan should make efforts to regain the momentum for international cooperation, by keeping step with the European Union and other entities.
There has been a spate of cases involving discrimination and abuse targeting medical workers and coronavirus patients, among others. To confront the coronavirus crisis, awareness must be shared by society as a whole.
-- Members of The Yomiuri Shimbun's Editorial Bureau, the Yomiuri Research Institute and Yomiuri Shimbun editorial writers formulated these proposals through discussions and interviews with experts.
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