Japan Drafts Policy To Prepare For 8th Wave Of Covid Infections
The Japanese government has decided on a policy to allow each prefectural government to declare stepped-up coronavirus measures, if the number of the daily new cases reaches at least the same level as this summer's seventh wave. The policy decision is in preparation for an expected eighth wave of infections nationwide.
Daily new infections topped 200,000 in the seventh wave and were much higher than those in previous waves.
The government decided the policy on Thursday at a meeting of Prime Minister Kishida Fumio, Health Minister Kato Katsunobu and Minister in charge of Coronavirus Measures Goto Shigeyuki.
The ministers also decided to revise the current five-scale alert of infection status to a four-scale one.
A level similar to the seventh wave or higher will be rated as Level 3, which means infections continue to expand.
On that level, prefectural governments are allowed to issue a declaration to strengthen preventive measures and impose a voluntary ban on nonessential outings, commuting, and gatherings, if someone has any symptoms.
The local governments are also allowed to take stricter measures if the situation is judged to be at the highest Level 4, where healthcare systems cannot function due to an excessive number of patients.
They can ask residents to work from home as much as possible and refrain from traveling. Postponements of events will also be recommended.
The Japanese government plans to present the new policy at a meeting of its coronavirus advisory panel on Friday.
Omi Shigeru, who heads the advisory panel, said the number of new infections is now on an upward trend across Japan with the northern prefecture of Hokkaido and some other areas posting stark increases in daily numbers.
He added that it can be said that Japan is now entering the eighth wave of infections.