Tokyo mulling new criteria for issuing alerts

Jun 16, 2020 | News On Japan

Jun 16, 2020 (NHK) - Officials in Tokyo are working on preventive measures to prepare for another possible surge of coronavirus infections. They've set up a team of experts amid a recent daily spike in confirmed cases.

Monday saw 48 new cases in the capital including 20 linked to a downtown nightclub district. It's the 2nd day in a row with more than 40 positive results.

The increase comes after the Tokyo government on Friday canceled most of its requests for businesses to restrict operating hours.

The team of experts is looking at how to enhance testing and medical systems, as well as how to monitor infections to prepare for another surge in infections.

At a meeting on Monday, they reportedly discussed the merits of evaluating specific areas, rather than the entire prefecture, in light of the fact that a significant number of recent cases are nightclub employees in central Tokyo.

The experts plan to decide by the end of this month what new criteria the metropolitan government will use when issuing alerts urging people to exercise more caution.

Meanwhile, the central government plans to lift more restrictions on social and economic activities on Friday. They include movement across prefectural borders as well as concerts and sporting events.

Economic Revitalization Minister Nishimura Yasutoshi said: " We don't intend to make any changes to our plan at this point. We will continue to closely monitor the situation every day taking expert views into account."

Across Japan, more than 17,500 people have tested positive for the virus and over 920 have died.

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