Greatly relaxed corona restrictions in Asian countries Some people are worried about the spread of infection

Greatly relaxed corona restrictions in Asian countries Voices concerned about spread of infection 19:35 on June 1

On the 1st, Asian countries have greatly relaxed the restrictions they had been keeping as measures against the new coronavirus. Some countries have decided to restart their economic activities as the infection continues to spread, and some citizens are concerned that the infection will spread further.

(India)
India has significantly relaxed the large-scale out-of-going restrictions that began in late March.

In the capital city of New Delhi, full-scale sales of shops were recognized, and in the central shopping area, there were people looking for clothing and other items.

In India, protracted restrictions have had a serious impact on the economy, and the government wants to recover the economy with the help of a major daily easing.

However, the pace of increase in the number of infected people has accelerated, and the cumulative number of infected people has exceeded 190,000.

(Philippines) The
Philippines relaxed the strict restrictions on behavior in the capital Manila and its surrounding areas, and resumed the operation of public transportation such as trains and buses that had been completely stopped for the first time in about two and a half months.

On the other hand, the traditional shared bus `` Jeepney '' was not allowed to resume because it could not keep the distance between passengers in a narrow car, and the Jeepney drivers held a protest rally to the government in Manila on the 1st. It was

In the Philippines, the pace of increase in the number of infected people has been accelerating since the end of last month, but the effects of restrictions such as the number of unemployed people are serious, and the government is forced to resume economic activity.

(Thailand)
On the other hand, Thailand is said to have a relatively low number of newly infected persons, so it is considered that the risk of infection is relatively high, such as indoor facilities where many people gather, such as movie theaters, and massage shops. The target of relaxation has expanded.

However, the government has decided to maintain a state of emergency and carefully assess the situation so that it can put strong restrictions on it once the infection has spread again.

In Asia, the rate of increase in infections is accelerating in almost all regions of South Asia, and the spread of infections in Southeast Asia is also expanding in the Philippines and Indonesia, and governments in each country are faced with a difficult decision between infection prevention and economic resumption. I am.

In addition, according to the statistics that the number of patients with other diseases such as influenza and dengue fever will increase in the full-fledged rainy season, there is growing concern that the medical system will be under pressure.

India's deregulation could not stop the increasing number of infected people

The Government of India has greatly relaxed the restrictions on large-scale outings, which have been ongoing since late March as measures against the new coronavirus, since the economy has been seriously affected. Some people are concerned about the further spread of infection.

The Government of India has greatly relaxed the restrictions on going out, which has been called "the world's largest blockade" since the end of March, from the 1st day except for the areas with many infected people, and has no restrictions on business operations of shops and factory operations. Did.

Even in the capital city of New Delhi, business operations were permitted except for large-scale commercial facilities, and there were people in the central shopping district who bought clothing and other clothing at stores that had resumed full-scale operations.

On the other hand, the subway, for which citizens have been calling for resumption, has decided to reopen it based on the future situation, and the service is still suspended.

In India, economic activity has been severely impacted, with economic activity stagnating due to prolonged restrictions on going out, and forecasts for negative growth this year.

For this reason, the government has gradually relaxed the restrictions since late April, but we would like to recover the economy with the dramatic relaxation from the 1st.

However, due to the increase in the number of people moving due to the relaxation so far, the number of new infected people per day has exceeded 8,000 people in the past few days, and the increasing trend has not stopped, with more than 190,000 infected people. It has become.

Citizens are also worried about the spread of infections due to further mitigation and increased movement and contact of people.

A man who runs a store that handles cloth for clothes said, "In New Delhi, there are more than 1,000 infected people every day, and if the store is open, the infection may spread, which is scary."

Philippine public transport reopened but "legs of the common people" were not recognized

Since mid-March this year, the Philippines has restricted corporate activities in various places, including Manila, the capital city, and has imposed strict action restrictions that do not allow citizens to go out.

From the first day, most business activities were permitted to operate normally, and public transportation such as trains and buses, which had been completely stopped, resumed operation for the first time in about two and a half months.

Of these, the trains that have become the commute of citizens have started operating in Manila.

In order to prevent infection, the boarding rate should be kept below 50%, passengers should be kept at a distance of 1 meter or more, etc., and seats should be covered with seats to keep a certain distance, and staff should call for keeping distance. It was.

However, the number of passengers was sparse on the first day of the reopening of the morning hours, which are usually crowded with commuters.

On the other hand, some transportation facilities were not allowed to reopen. The traditional Jeepney bus, which is commonly known as the "foot of the ordinary people," was not allowed to restart because it was not possible to keep the distance between passengers in a narrow car.

The Jeepney drivers held rally on various days in Manila to protest the government and shouted, "Return the Jeepney."

Some drivers were preparing for their own infection control, such as providing partitions between customers, and the government's decision was against the expectations of the drivers.

A 61-year-old man, a man, complained, "I've lost all my income and managed to share the food between the drivers. The government should restart the jeepney."

In the Philippines, the pace of increase in infected people has not slowed down despite severe action restrictions, and it has started to rise since the end of last month, and the cumulative number of infected people has exceeded 18,000 as of 31st.

However, the severe economic impact of the strict restrictions has forced the government to resume economic activity.

According to the government, the growth rate of GDP (GDP) from January to March was minus 0.2% for the first time in 21 years, and it is estimated that at least 2.7 million people were unemployed. I will.

The Philippine government is faced with a difficult steer between infection control and economic recovery.

Thailand also targets facilities with high risk of infection

Thailand has been gradually reducing restrictions since the beginning of last month, as the number of newly confirmed cases has been reduced.

From the 1st, the target of mitigation has spread to facilities where the government thinks that the risk of infection is relatively high, such as movie theaters and massage shops where many people gather indoors.

The movie theater in Bangkok, which has been reopening for the first time in about two and a half months, limits the number of guests per hall to 200, and the seats are spaced every two seats horizontally and every row vertically. It has been marked to empty the space.

Inside the facility, we introduced robots that carry gels for disinfection, and workers in protective clothing sprinkled disinfectant solutions to ensure thorough measures.

In addition, the massage shop has been approved to offer massages that look into the face and its surroundings.

At a store in Bangkok, the number of seats was reduced from five to two in order to keep the distance between customers one meter or more, and then employees were wearing masks and face shields to massage.

The store owner said, "I'm worried about sales because I have fewer seats, but I want customers to feel at ease and relax."

In Thailand, the number of new infected people confirmed on the 1st has stayed within 1 digit almost every day since late April, and the Thai government will decide whether to extend mitigation to all industries and activities in the future. is.

However, we maintain the state of emergency so that we can put strong restrictions on it when the infection spreads again, and we will carefully judge the situation.

Medical field may rain in the rainy season

India, the Philippines, and Thailand are expected to enter a full-scale rainy season soon.

Regarding how the infectivity of the new coronavirus will change in the rainy season, no country has yet made a definite forecast or opinion.

However, health officials and experts are worried that the number of patients with the epidemic of the rainy season, such as influenza and dengue fever, could make the medical situation even more difficult.

`` If the number of people with influenza increases during the rainy season, it will cause confusion in the medical field, '' said Tanalac Puripat, deputy director of the Department of Disease Control, Ministry of Health, Thailand, at an internet seminar last month. , Showed caution about the pressure on the medical system.

According to data compiled by the Ministry of Health on the influenza epidemic in Thailand, the number of patients begins to increase every year in May, reaching 30,000 in September, which is about six times the peak, the lowest number.

In addition, the number of patients with dengue fever will increase to 14,000 during the peak hours in July and August, more than five times the lowest.

For this reason, the Ministry of Health of Thailand has established a procedure for medical examinations, such as suspecting a new coronavirus when multiple patients with fever and respiratory disorders occur in the same place and both influenza and dengue are negative.

In addition, we are considering measures such as increasing the number of people who provide free vaccination for influenza.

Expert "There is concern about re-epidemicity"

Regarding the relaxation of out-of-go restrictions that have been implemented as measures against the new coronavirus in Asia and Africa, Professor Atsuro Hamada of Tokyo Medical University, who is familiar with overseas infectious diseases, said, `` The countries in the Southern Hemisphere are about to enter full-scale winter, In South Asia, the rainy season is approaching.Infectious diseases, such as the new coronavirus that are transmitted through flying, increase the opportunities for many people to work indoors during the winter and rainy seasons, making it more likely that flying infection will occur and the epidemic will be large. I am worried that another epidemic will occur not only in countries such as India and Brazil where the infection continues to expand, but also in countries in Southeast Asia that have once settled down. "

In addition, “In Japan, when restrictions on entry and exit are gradually lifted, it is feared that if the epidemic continues overseas, the virus will come in again and the epidemic will occur. We cannot take sufficient measures against infection. It is necessary to provide support to the national government and take measures such as strengthening border measures again to prevent the spread of viruses in the country as much as possible. "