The Shibuya Scramble Crossing is seen in Tokyo's Shibuya Ward in this image taken from a Mainichi Shimbun helicopter on April 10, 2021. (Mainichi/Natsuki Nishi)

       TOKYO -- Over 40% of individuals aged 12 or older in Tokyo had received their second coronavirus vaccine shot as of Aug. 18, it was reported in the Tokyo Metropolitan Government's Aug. 20 monitoring meeting.

       The metropolitan government deems vaccinations as the most effective way to combat coronavirus infections, and is set to make efforts to promote inoculations by setting up a vaccination site for young people near JR Shibuya Station, among other means.

       According to the metropolitan government, 56.1% of people aged 12 or older had received their first shot while 40.4% had completed their second. Tokyo will also open a vaccination site designated for individuals aged 16 to 39 in the Workers' Welfare Hall of Shibuya Ward on Aug. 27, which will allow eligible residents to receive inoculations without making reservations by presenting their vaccination voucher and ID.

       The daily average of new infections in Tokyo over the last seven days stood at 4,630.6 as of Aug. 18, an increase of about 700 from the previous week. Infected people in their 20s and 30s account for about half of the total. As for those with severe symptoms, there were a great number of those in their 40s and 50s, and infections have continued to spread mainly among the young and middle-aged generations.

       The positive virus test rate, which indicates the extent of community transmission, was 24.0% as of Aug. 18. Tokyo Medical Association deputy chairperson Masataka Inokuchi said, "It is feared that people who require testing have not been dealt with swiftly, and it is possible that there are many infected people that have not been included in figures." He stressed the need to bolster the polymerase chain reaction testing system.

       (Japanese original by Toshiki Koseki, Tokyo City News Department)

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