Politics | Jul 29

Japan to weigh approaching COVID-19 like the flu

A Japanese government advisory body will look into recommending a different designation for COVID-19, such as by treating it like the flu, in order to ease disruptions to the health care system.

Japan now counts COVID-19 as separate from its 1-to-5 scale of infectious diseases, assigning it the strictest reporting requirement, public funding for treatment and other measures.

Redefining it as category 5 -- the same level as seasonal influenza -- would no longer require full reporting of case numbers. Public funding of treatment would no longer be available, so the financial burden on patients would increase.

In recommendations July 14, the panel on COVID-19 measures suggested a need "to start considering designating COVID-19 as one of many diseases."

The debate comes as Japan experiences what it calls its seventh wave of coronavirus infections, raising new cases to record highs.


MORE Politics NEWS

The Japanese Cabinet on Tuesday approved a bill for the "Japanese DBS," which will verify the presence or absence of sexual offense history for individuals working with children.

At the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) convention held amidst the political funding scandal, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida stated that the party would take strict measures against the involved members.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has emphasized the need for the immediate lifting of import bans on Japanese seafood by China and Russia, following the release of treated water from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant.

POPULAR NEWS

Japan's Meteorological Agency announced the blooming of the Somei Yoshino cherry blossoms in Tokyo at 2 p.m. on Friday, five days later than average.

Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry (METI) announced a formal plan on March 28 to establish priority lanes for autonomous vehicles along expressways stretching from Tohoku to Kyushu within the next ten years.

JAXA has announced the revival of the unmanned explorer "SLIM" following its successful hibernation after making Japan's first moon landing. The probe successfully endured a second lunar night, a period during which temperatures can drop to as low as minus 170 degrees Celsius.

Seven-Eleven have extended the expiry date of its hand-rolled onigiri (rice balls), including salmon, plum, kelp, spicy cod roe, and tuna mayonnaise varieties.

The Japanese government finalized a new strategy on Wednesday aimed at the development of next-generation domestic aircraft, including initiatives for eco-friendly aviation technologies.

FOLLOW US