While the government is considering the application of "priority measures such as prevention of spread", an expert meeting of the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare was held to advise on measures against the new coronavirus, and there were reports of mutant viruses that are said to be highly infectious, especially in Kansai. The number is increasing and the spread of infection is expected in the future, and there is a risk that it will spread rapidly even in areas where there has been no major spread of infection so far, so it is necessary to prepare for securing a medical system.
At the meeting held on the night of the 31st, the analysis focused on the situation in Kansai, Miyagi, and Okinawa prefectures, such as Osaka prefecture, where the infection spreads rapidly.
At the expert meeting, regarding the infection situation nationwide, "the number of newly infected people has continued to increase since the beginning of March", and especially in the Kansai region, since the state of emergency was lifted at the end of February in Osaka Prefecture, etc., at night It is said that the number of infected people in their 20s to 30s continues to increase.
In addition, reports of mutant viruses are increasing, and it is expected that the infection will continue to spread in the future, and it is necessary to prevent the mutant virus from leaking to other areas due to the movement of people as much as possible.
In addition, in the Tokyo metropolitan area, the number of people infected at night increased sharply after the state of emergency was lifted, especially in Tokyo, and the proportion of young infected people increased, leading to a rapid spread of infection in the future. It is said to be a concern.
Furthermore, in Miyagi, Yamagata, and Okinawa prefectures, the spread of infection has been seen mainly among young and middle-aged people, and there is concern that the spread will continue in the future.
As for the required measures, it is necessary to identify the source of infection and prevent the spread of the mutant virus through border measures, strengthening of the inspection system, and active epidemiological investigation.
In addition, in areas where infection is spreading, requests for shortening business hours and expansion of inspection systems are required for restaurants, and in some cases, hospitalization adjustments have already been delayed, and major infections have occurred so far. He points out that it is necessary to proceed with testing and securing medical systems because the spread of infection may occur rapidly even in areas where there was no spread.
In addition, at the beginning of the year, it is necessary to be careful because people often move and train when joining the company or entering school, and there are opportunities for people to gather, such as lunch karaoke and long dinners including daytime. It is necessary to send a message that can share a sense of crisis, such as avoiding banquets associated with annual events such as avoidance welcome parties.
At a press conference after the meeting, Chairman Takaji Wakita said, "It was evaluated that the increase in infection was not remarkable in the Greater Tokyo Area, but it is quite noticeable in Tohoku and Kansai, and it is clear that the spread has begun in various places. Isn't it? In Kansai, it was argued that once the number of infected people decreased, mutant strains entered and replaced the conventional virus. The increase in Kansai was affected by the mutant strains to a certain extent. I think there may be, but not many mutant strains have been detected in Tohoku. The situation of the spread of infection is slightly different depending on the region. "