The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare's COVID-19 Advisory Board expert panel is seen meeting in Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo, on July 28, 2021. (Mainichi/Hidenori Yazawa)
TOKYO -- A group of experts tasked to advise the Japanese government on COVID-19 policy expressed strong concerns over the prolonged surge of coronavirus infections especially in the greater Tokyo area as well as Osaka Prefecture, saying that the state of infections is beginning to affect regular medical care.
The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare's Advisory Board, staffed by some of Japan's most senior infectious disease experts, and chaired by Takaji Wakita, head of the National Institute of Infectious Diseases, convened on July 28 to discuss the worsening state of infections in Japan.
Topics for discussion included the conditions in Tokyo, where another state of emergency declaration is in effect, and in the three neighboring prefectures of Kanagawa, Chiba and Saitama where quasi-emergency measures have been applied, as well as the state of west Japan prefectures including Osaka.
One expert asserted, "We're seeing infections spread rapidly unlike anything before." With infections continuing to rise in the capital, another member of the panel expressed serious concerns: "An effect on standard medical services is emerging. There are very strong concerns now that we're headed for a situation where lives that could normally be saved can't be. The biggest problem is that the government and the people aren't able to share the same sense of crisis."
The most recent seven-day new infections figures per 100,000 members of the population show a number of prefectures exceeding the 25 people or more criteria for a state of emergency declaration, also known as a Stage 4 situation marked by an explosive rise in infections. The prefectures are Tokyo, with 89 infections per 100,000 people, Okinawa with 83, Kanagawa at 45, Saitama with 43, Chiba at 40, Osaka with 36, and others.
Prefectures that fulfill the criteria for Stage 3, meaning an infections surge of 15 people or more per 100,000 of the population in the most recent seven days are Fukuoka with 21, Kyoto with 19, Hyogo at 16 and Hokkaido with 16, among others.
Week-by-week comparisons showed huge rises in some areas, with Tokyo's up 149% on the week prior and Osaka Prefecture at 152%. The national total was 154% higher, suggesting the trend is moving toward surging infections.
The primary reason behind the swift rise in new cases is reportedly the spread of the highly infectious delta variant first confirmed in India. The mutation accounts for 75% of infections in the capital region comprising the prefectures of Tokyo, Kanagawa, Chiba and Saitama. In the west Japan Kansai region prefectures of Osaka, Kyoto and Hyogo, the variant made up about 30% of cases.
Even with a fresh state of emergency declared, the impact on reducing nighttime activity in Tokyo areas including its entertainment districts has been limited, and hasn't led to fewer infections.
As part of making infection prevention measures tougher, some in the government have suggested that large-scale retail businesses close and events be canceled, but the ideas have also met resistance. One senior government official said, "We won't be able to get understanding from the people, who are tired of protracted efforts to refrain from daily activities." A few experts also called for the Olympics to be canceled, but the opinion is not shared by many, and an effective strategy was not put forward.
Many tourist spots and leisure facilities were bustling in the late July four-day public holiday, and it is possible these activities will have an effect on future infection numbers. One of the panel's experts said with concern, "We can't see an infections peak yet."
(Japanese original by Ryosuke Abe and Keisuke Harada, Lifestyle and Medical News Department)
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