Tokyo-Area Medical Systems Nearing Disaster Situation: Panel

Tokyo, Aug. 11 (Jiji Press)--The medical service systems in the Tokyo metropolitan area are nearing a situation as bad as a disaster with the novel coronavirus raging, a health ministry advisory board said Wednesday. Concerns are mounting that the Tokyo area may see a situation in which many lives that would be saved in ordinary times can no longer be saved, the board said. It called on citizens to refrain from visiting their parents' homes during the Bon summer holiday period from later this week and take thorough measures against the coronavirus. "New COVID-19 cases continue spreading at a rapid pace" across the country, the panel said. The panel said it believes the delta variant is a dominant strain in Tokyo, where it accounts for an estimated 95 pct of new infection cases. Takaji Wakita, director-general of the National Institute of Infectious Diseases, who heads the advisory board, said it would be better for the Tokyo Paralympics, due to start on Aug. 24, to have no spectators. Of the new infection cases aged 65 or over reported in June, 5,387 had not received any coronavirus vaccine shots, while 112 had completed their second shots, according to the ministry. The fatality rate was 4.31 pct for those unvaccinated, far higher than 0.89 pct for those fully vaccinated. Although more cases need to be studied, vaccinations are believed to be effective in preventing severe symptoms and curbing fatal cases, Wakita said. END