TOKYO, Feb. 4 (Xinhua/APP) –:Japan needs to focus on reducing the infection rate among both children and the elderly, as the Omicron variant of COVID-19 continues to run amok, a virologist assisting the government said Friday.
“The number of novel coronavirus cases is starting to decline among young generations, but unless we see a downtrend among children and elderly people, the overall figures will not decline,” said Takaji Wakita, who heads a group of experts advising the Health Ministry on its pandemic response.
Wakita’s remarks came as nationwide COVID-19 cases topped the 100,000-mark for the first time on Thursday as the country is reeling from the rampant spread of the Omicron variant, with 34 of Japan’s 47 prefectures currently under a COVID-19 quasi-state of emergency.
Wakita called for more flexibility in how beds are managed in hospitals to ensure that growing numbers of COVID-19 patients with serious symptoms and regular inpatient hospital admissions should both be catered to.
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