Society

Govt. to step up effort against cluster infection

Nov 08 (NHK) - The Japanese government plans to raise public awareness about high-risk situations for contracting the coronavirus and provide assistance to foreign nationals in the country.

The government is warning people to be wary of five situations that could increase the risk of infection.

Those situations compiled by experts include social gatherings involving alcohol consumption, socializing and smoking during breaks at the workplace, and living with others in a small space.

The government is also concerned over reported clusters of infections among foreign nationals in Japan.

The government's panel of experts is expected to discuss how to help foreigners get access to the information they need, taking into account language and cultural barriers they might have.

The minister in charge of the coronavirus response, Nishimura Yasutoshi, said the government is to work with embassies and prefectural governments in the event that foreigners get infected with the virus.

Nishimura said he wants the expert panel to come up with ways to help foreigners get access to coronavirus testing and treatment as soon as possible.

Japan has reported a daily tally of more than 1,000 new cases for three days in a row since Thursday. A series of infection clusters have also been reported across the nation.

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