Tokyo Maintains Highest Virus Alert; Experts Express Concerns
15:35 JST, December 4, 2020
The Tokyo metropolitan government kept its alert posture for the spread of the novel coronavirus in the capital at the highest level of its four-tiered assessment on Thursday, while the alert level for the medical care system stayed at the second-highest level.
The metropolitan government held a monitoring meeting with experts to discuss the spread of the virus in the capital.
According to the metropolitan government, the seven-day average number of new infections in Tokyo through Thursday was a record 466.4, up about 60 from the previous week. The number of people with unknown infection routes also increased, reflecting the continuously tough situation.
Meanwhile, the number of seriously ill patients decreased to 54 on Thursday from 70 marked on Nov. 30, the highest since the state of emergency was lifted in May.
Based on these factors, meeting participants concluded that the medical care system was not yet on the verge of a crisis. However, some experts expressed strong concerns that it is becoming difficult to provide ordinary medical treatments while taking care of novel coronavirus patients at the same time, because there have been negative effects on medical institutions, such as the postponement of planned surgeries.
It was reported at the meeting that the metropolitan government requested medical institutions to raise the number of beds it keeps for seriously ill patients from 150 to 200.
"Society" POPULAR ARTICLE
-
JICA Employee Suspected of Leaking Info on ODA Project in Manila; Bidding for Railway Renovation May Have Been Impacted
-
Typhoon Cimaron Forms South of Japan; Expected to Move Closer to Kyushu, Shikoku in Few Days
-
Typhoon Jebi, Typhoon Krathon Approaching Japan; Impact on Eastern Japan, Okinawa is Concerning
-
‘Doraemon’ Voice Actress Nobuyo Oyama Dies at 90; Also Voiced Katsuo in Anime ‘Sazae-san’ (UPDATE 1)
-
Japan’s Nihon Hidankyo Wins Nobel Peace Prize; Hibakusha Group Campaigns against Nuclear Weapons (UPDATE 3)
JN ACCESS RANKING
- Harris Widens Lead over Trump to 47%-40%, Reuters/Ipsos Poll Finds
- Japan-S. Korea Exchange Festival Held in Seoul
- Japan Trying to Draw Digital Nomads, Who Are Seen as Beneficial to Economy, Society
- JICA Employee Suspected of Leaking Info on ODA Project in Manila; Bidding for Railway Renovation May Have Been Impacted
- Asukayama Monorail in Tokyo: Free to Ride!