Delta variant brings about fresh challenges for Japan

Jul 03, 2021 | News On Japan

Jul 03, 2021 (Japan Times) - Alarm bells are beginning to sound in Japan due to the recent spread of the delta variant of the coronavirus, which is more transmissible than other strains and has even begun to test countries that were widely lauded for their speedy vaccine rollouts.

Delta has already been confirmed in 85 countries including Japan, according to the World Health Organization. Fear over the highly transmissible variant, which was first detected in India and is formally known as B.1.617.2, has prompted Japanese authorities to tighten quarantine restrictions for arrivals from specific countries and to consider a fresh state of emergency for Tokyo.

As cases continue to rise in the capital, the spread of the more contagious variant has also renewed concerns over an infection rebound nationwide.

The National Institute of Infectious Diseases said Wednesday that delta infections in Japan accounted for around 30% of all cases in the Kanto region as of the end of June.

The same day, the health ministry reported a cumulative total of 224 cases of infection involving the delta strain as of Monday, with 71 new cases recorded between June 21 and 28. For comparison, in the preceding week Japan saw 36 new cases involving the variant. The highest numbers of such cases were found in Tokyo, with 42 cases, and neighboring Kanagawa and Chiba prefectures, with 40 and 31 cases, respectively.

The health ministry data shows that in terms of new variants, delta’s growth has been the most exponential. As of June 21, there were only 24 cases of the beta variant, which was first reported in South Africa in October, and 82 infections with gamma, first detected in Manaus, Brazil, in December.

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