Society

Abe: Need to brace for 2nd, 3rd wave of infections

May 16 (NHK) - Japanese Prime Minister Abe Shinzo has renewed his call to keep thorough measures in place to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, after lifting the state of emergency in 39 prefectures.

Abe spoke at a plenary session of the Upper House of the Diet on Friday.

The prime minister said the country needs to prepare for a long battle against the virus until effective treatments and vaccines are developed. He said the virus is still a threat despite the state of emergency being scaled back. And he warned that people need to prepare for a possible second and third wave of infections.

Abe said that if there is a spike of infections, the state of emergency may need to be declared again in affected areas.

He once again urged people to adhere to a new lifestyle that incorporates social distancing, and to follow guidelines issued for each industry.

Abe pledged to improve the country's system for coronavirus testing, including antibody testing and PCR testing using saliva. He also said that he will make changes to the health care system so that it is better equipped to handle the pandemic.

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