Experts: New Coronavirus Infections May Exceed Peak Of 6th Wave
Experts assessing the coronavirus situation in Tokyo say the number of daily new cases may exceed the peak of the sixth wave of infections after a week.
The experts expressed a strong sense of urgency in a meeting on Thursday, saying Tokyo may see an explosive increase that has never been experienced before.
They raised the alert level to the highest of the four-tier system. That is the first time since April this year. The highest alert level had been in place for three months since January during the sixth wave of infections.
As of Wednesday, the seven-day average of the daily tally in the capital came to 10,110. That was 2.3-times the number from a week earlier.
The experts said the spread of infections is accelerating. They also said if it continues to increase at the current pace, the daily tally will exceed 23,000 after a week, surpassing the peak of the sixth wave. They added that the number could break through 53,000 after two weeks.
The experts further warned that the spread of infections may impose work restrictions on many people, and force social functions to stall, with heavy strains on the medical care system.
They are calling on citizens to take thorough anti-infection measures to help prevent an increase in new cases as much as possible.
They stressed the importance of receiving a third vaccine, in particular for younger people, and called for the acceleration of a fourth dose for the elderly.
The experts also raised the alert level for the medical services to the second highest in the four-tier system. The level suggests that normal healthcare services may have to be restricted to strengthen care for coronavirus patients.
More than 2,200 COVID-19 patients were in hospital in Tokyo as of Wednesday. The number increased 2.5-fold from the level of two weeks earlier. Those aged 60 or older accounted for about 65 percent of the total.
The experts said flexible use of hospital beds, including those at temporary facilities, will be needed to cope with the situation, considering the severity of the symptoms and the age of patients.