Topline
Japan is reporting nearly 200,000 Covid-19 cases a day—more than any other country in the world currently—while its government has refused to impose stringent pandemic restrictions, as the country struggles to contain an outbreak of the fast spreading BA.5 subvariant of the coronavirus.
(File Photo) Japan is currently in the midst of its worst-ever Covid-19 outbreak since the start of … [+]
Key Facts
According to the Japanese government’s official tracker the country reported 196,453 new Covid-19 cases on Tuesday, just days after it topped 200,000 daily cases for the first time since the start of the pandemic.
The worst of Japan’s outbreak appears to be centered around two of its three largest prefectures, with Tokyo reporting more than 30,000 daily cases and Osaka reporting more than 25,000.
The growing outbreak in the Osaka prefecture has prompted local authorities to raise the virus alert to the highest level which urges citizens, especially the elderly, to refrain from non-essential travel and gatherings.
Osaka’s decision to impose the ‘red alert’ level comes a week after Tokyo enacted the same measure, but officials in neither province have called for the imposition of a quasi-state of emergency which would limit the size of gatherings at public venues.
A Japanese government official told Nikkei Asia that the current outbreak in the country is largely being driven by the highly contagious BA.5 variant of the coronavirus which can evade immunity from previous infections and even vaccinations.
While BA.5 infections are believed to be milder than previous variants, the number of hospitalizations in the country have continued to rise steadily, even as ICU occupancy remains low, according to Our World In Data.
Key Background
The ongoing surge in cases—which is being referred to as Japan’s seventh Covid wave—appears to have disrupted the country’s plan to return to normalcy after several months of dealing with one of the world’s most stringent travel bans. Last month, the Japanese government announced an end to its ban on foreign travelers that had been in place for over six months. However, instead of a full-fledged reopening, Japan has only allowed foreigners to enter the country as part of special government approved guided tours and strict mask wearing mandates. Faced with increased pressure to act, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s government will have to balance controlling the Covid surge with Japan’s economic challenges which includes high inflation. So far, Kishida’s government has insisted that it will not impose movement restrictions or limit business activities and has instead urged people to undertake “maximum caution” to prevent the outbreak from growing. Kishida, however, will need to be wary of his predecessor Yoshihide Suga’s downfall which was largely triggered by disapproval of his pandemic approach.
Further Reading
Japan tops global COVID chart, dimming reopening hopes (Nikkei Asia)
Japan’s seventh COVID wave threatens service industries during high season (Japan Times)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/siladityaray/2022/07/27/japan-is-now-reporting-more-covid-19-cases-than-any-other-country/