Japan's Daily COVID-19 Cases Fall Below 1,000 for First Time in 3 Months... Vaccinations Begin Tomorrow

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kwon Jae-hee] The daily number of new COVID-19 cases in Japan has dropped below 1,000 for the first time in about three months.

According to NHK on the 16th, the number of new COVID-19 cases in Japan was recorded at 965 the previous day. As a result, the total cumulative number of confirmed cases in Japan rose to 418,458. The death toll increased by 73, reaching 7,056. This is the first time in about three months since November 16 last year (950 cases) that the daily new cases in Japan have fallen below 1,000.

Compared to early last month when a state of emergency was reissued in Tokyo and other areas, and daily new cases were approaching 8,000, this is a significantly lower level.

Meanwhile, infections with variant viruses continue to be confirmed. Saitama Prefecture announced that nine people have been confirmed to be infected with the same variant virus that spread in the United Kingdom. All of them have no history of overseas travel and are understood not to have had contact with unspecified many people. With this, the number of variant virus infections confirmed in Saitama Prefecture alone has increased to 35.

The Japanese government plans to start administering Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine from the 17th. Vaccinations will begin with 10,000 to 20,000 healthcare workers who are prioritized, and vaccinations for elderly people aged 65 and over are expected to start after April.

The Asahi Shimbun reported, "The Japanese government has decided to impose the obligation to strive for COVID-19 vaccination under the Vaccination Act, as with other routine vaccinations, but will not make vaccination mandatory."

The vaccination target is those aged 16 and older, and in principle, it will be conducted for those who wish to receive it. Those who have already been infected with COVID-19 are also eligible. However, for pregnant women, careful consideration of the vaccine's efficacy is necessary, so vaccination will not be mandatory for them.

Meanwhile, Japan has not secured enough special syringes required to administer six doses per vial of the Pfizer vaccine, resulting in only five doses being administered per vial. Consequently, about 20% of the secured vaccine supply is at risk of being discarded.

To resolve this issue, the Japanese government has reportedly requested Nipro, a medical device manufacturer headquartered in Osaka, to increase production of special syringes capable of administering six doses, NHK reported.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.