Regarding the infection situation of the new coronavirus, Shigeru Omi, chairman of the government's subcommittee, expressed the view that the nationwide upward trend of infections is expected to continue for the time being, stating in a Sunday debate broadcast on NHK on the 16th, "It is quite possible that a situation like Okinawa Prefecture will spread to other regions."
Regarding the current infection situation of the new coronavirus, Chairman Omi said, "Not only the number of newly infected people, but also the number of hospitalized people and seriously ill people are increasing. We don't know how many people will increase, but we should expect this upward trend to continue."
Regarding the high number of infected people in Okinawa Prefecture in particular, he pointed out that "there are unique situations such as the vaccination rate in Okinawa Prefecture being lower than in other regions, but that alone cannot be explained.
When asked about the future of measures against the novel coronavirus, he said, "Of course, it is important to balance the economy and infection control measures, and I don't think we are in an era where we immediately restrict our activities. On top of that, it is important to note that although the fatality rate of the new coronavirus is decreasing, the transmission power of the infection is getting stronger, the number of infected people is increasing, and the number of people dying continues to increase. Most of the deaths are elderly, so what is needed now is how much we can reduce the number of deaths among the elderly," he said, adding that measures should be taken while balancing the economy.
On top of that, Chairman Omi said, "It is necessary to create a rough strategy of what kind of response to what happens, while looking at the indicators such as the fatality rate, infectivity, and degree of medical strain of the virus. It is important to create a big grand design now."