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▼ Japan's COVID-19 Death Toll Tops 3,000 As Medical Experts Sound Alarm
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The nation’s death toll from the novel coronavirus topped 3,000 on Tuesday amid fears that a recent spike in the number of infections could further squeeze its health care system.
The number of deaths across Japan in December, which has exceeded 800, is already more than double that of the previous month, at 382. A single-day record of 53 deaths was reported last week.
Cumulative infections surpassed 200,000 on Monday. The number of deaths reported on a daily basis fell below 10 on some days in November but sharply increased from the end of the month, with over 40 deaths recorded on a number of days in December.
Tokyo, Hokkaido and the prefectures of Saitama, Chiba, Kanagawa, Aichi, Osaka and Hyogo — all with large populations — accounted for around 80% of the reported deaths in December as of Monday.
A rise in the number of severe cases among the older population is a major cause for concern. The rate of severe cases compared with that for individuals in their 30s was 25 times higher for people in their 60s, 47 times higher for those in their 70s and 71 times higher among those in their 80s, according to the health ministry.
“The spread of the virus has led to a rise in the number of hospitalized patients and those suffering from severe cases,” said Takaji Wakita, head of the National Institute of Infectious Diseases.
“It will be difficult to manage general medical treatment alongside the pandemic,” said Wakita, who also chairs a government panel of medical experts.
On Tuesday, Tokyo confirmed 563 new COVID-19 cases. The figure exceeded the previous high in the capital for a Tuesday, of 460, which was set on Dec. 15.
Of the most recent daily total for Tokyo, 65 of the cases involved people age 65 or older while the number of severely ill patients, based on city standards, came to 64 — up one from the previous day. The daily figure was based on 4,913 tests, the metropolitan government said in a statement.
Among those newly diagnosed, people in their 20s made up the largest group, at 133, followed by 120 people in their 30s and 96 people in their 40s. The cumulative number of infections in the capital stood at 52,382.
Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga has denied the need to declare another national state of emergency, even amid the latest surge in cases and as health experts warn that the medical system is becoming strained.
Speaking in a prerecorded TV interview on Monday night, Suga said the government may instead ask restaurants and bars to further shorten business hours in a bid to curb the spread of the virus.
Also Monday, the government’s coronavirus point man indicated it will consider a law revision to strengthen prefectural governors’ authority in the fight against the pandemic.
At a news conference Monday night, economic revitalization minister Yasutoshi Nishimura pointed to the need to allow prefectural governors to take strong measures even before a state of emergency over the epidemic is declared.
“We aim to enable compulsory measures, if necessary,” Nishimura said, adding that the government was looking to submit a bill to revise a special law enacted to counter the pandemic during an ordinary Diet session set to start in January.
The news conference was also attended by Shigeru Omi, chair of a government panel on the pandemic, who expressed a strong sense of crisis over the ongoing spread of infections in the Tokyo area.
Omi pointed out that slowing infections in the metropolitan area was key to containing the spread elsewhere in the country. He called on people again to follow infection prevention measures, such as avoiding eating and drinking in large groups.
On Monday, the cumulative number of infections nationwide was pushed above the 200,000 mark as 1,808 new cases were confirmed nationwide.
The virus-linked death toll rose by 48 to 2,978. The new fatalities included 11 in Osaka Prefecture, eight in Hokkaido and six in Hyogo Prefecture. The number of severely ill COVID-19 patients, meanwhile, rose by 10 to 603, the health ministry said Monday.
After the country’s first case was confirmed on Jan. 16., it took seven months for the tally to top 50,000, on Aug. 10, and 80 more days to surpass 100,000, on Oct. 29. After the pace of infections started to accelerate further in November, the tally rose by 50,000 in 33 days to hit 150,000 on Dec. 1, then climbed by another 50,000 in about three weeks.
The number of deaths across Japan in December, which has exceeded 800, is already more than double that of the previous month, at 382. A single-day record of 53 deaths was reported last week.
Cumulative infections surpassed 200,000 on Monday. The number of deaths reported on a daily basis fell below 10 on some days in November but sharply increased from the end of the month, with over 40 deaths recorded on a number of days in December.
Tokyo, Hokkaido and the prefectures of Saitama, Chiba, Kanagawa, Aichi, Osaka and Hyogo — all with large populations — accounted for around 80% of the reported deaths in December as of Monday.
A rise in the number of severe cases among the older population is a major cause for concern. The rate of severe cases compared with that for individuals in their 30s was 25 times higher for people in their 60s, 47 times higher for those in their 70s and 71 times higher among those in their 80s, according to the health ministry.
“The spread of the virus has led to a rise in the number of hospitalized patients and those suffering from severe cases,” said Takaji Wakita, head of the National Institute of Infectious Diseases.
“It will be difficult to manage general medical treatment alongside the pandemic,” said Wakita, who also chairs a government panel of medical experts.
On Tuesday, Tokyo confirmed 563 new COVID-19 cases. The figure exceeded the previous high in the capital for a Tuesday, of 460, which was set on Dec. 15.
Of the most recent daily total for Tokyo, 65 of the cases involved people age 65 or older while the number of severely ill patients, based on city standards, came to 64 — up one from the previous day. The daily figure was based on 4,913 tests, the metropolitan government said in a statement.
Among those newly diagnosed, people in their 20s made up the largest group, at 133, followed by 120 people in their 30s and 96 people in their 40s. The cumulative number of infections in the capital stood at 52,382.
Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga has denied the need to declare another national state of emergency, even amid the latest surge in cases and as health experts warn that the medical system is becoming strained.
Speaking in a prerecorded TV interview on Monday night, Suga said the government may instead ask restaurants and bars to further shorten business hours in a bid to curb the spread of the virus.
Also Monday, the government’s coronavirus point man indicated it will consider a law revision to strengthen prefectural governors’ authority in the fight against the pandemic.
At a news conference Monday night, economic revitalization minister Yasutoshi Nishimura pointed to the need to allow prefectural governors to take strong measures even before a state of emergency over the epidemic is declared.
“We aim to enable compulsory measures, if necessary,” Nishimura said, adding that the government was looking to submit a bill to revise a special law enacted to counter the pandemic during an ordinary Diet session set to start in January.
The news conference was also attended by Shigeru Omi, chair of a government panel on the pandemic, who expressed a strong sense of crisis over the ongoing spread of infections in the Tokyo area.
Omi pointed out that slowing infections in the metropolitan area was key to containing the spread elsewhere in the country. He called on people again to follow infection prevention measures, such as avoiding eating and drinking in large groups.
On Monday, the cumulative number of infections nationwide was pushed above the 200,000 mark as 1,808 new cases were confirmed nationwide.
The virus-linked death toll rose by 48 to 2,978. The new fatalities included 11 in Osaka Prefecture, eight in Hokkaido and six in Hyogo Prefecture. The number of severely ill COVID-19 patients, meanwhile, rose by 10 to 603, the health ministry said Monday.
After the country’s first case was confirmed on Jan. 16., it took seven months for the tally to top 50,000, on Aug. 10, and 80 more days to surpass 100,000, on Oct. 29. After the pace of infections started to accelerate further in November, the tally rose by 50,000 in 33 days to hit 150,000 on Dec. 1, then climbed by another 50,000 in about three weeks.
- December 22, 2020
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