Regarding the review of the classification of the new coronavirus under the Infectious Diseases Act, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare will start full-scale discussions at an expert subcommittee and comprehensively judge the current pathogenicity, infectivity, and the impact on the public. showed.
The novel coronavirus is classified as "type 2" under the Infectious Diseases Control Law, and stricter measures than "type 2" are to be taken. Discussions are underway, including downgrading to the same "Class 5" category, and evaluations of pathogenicity and other factors are being conducted at expert meetings.
Regarding this, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare's Infectious Diseases Subcommittee, in which local governments and medical professionals participate, was held on a rotating basis, and the secretariat presented elements that should be considered for review.
Based on the increase in the cumulative number of patients and the progress of vaccination, we will consider the current virulence and infectivity and the impact on the public, the possibility of future mutations, and what kind of We will comprehensively judge whether a medical system is necessary.
In response to this, members of the subcommittee said that the transition should be phased in so as not to adversely affect the provision of medical care to the public, and that support for infection prevention measures at medical institutions and facilities for the elderly will continue to be necessary. An opinion has been given.
The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare is expected to determine the direction of the review after the beginning of the year after assessing the infection status during the year-end and New Year holidays.