Ahead of the Olympics, Warning: "Delta Variant Over 50% in Japan's Capital Region"

Autumn Survey Results from Japan National Institute of Infectious Diseases
Delta Variant Virus Accounts for Around 30% of COVID-19 Cases in Kanto Region
Possibility of Exceeding 50% by Mid-Next Month

On the 29th, about 20 days before the opening of the Tokyo Olympics, the Olympic Exhibition Hall at Jamsil Sports Complex in Songpa-gu, Seoul was seen. On the same day, Japan's Asahi Shimbun reported growing concerns that the fifth wave of COVID-19 could occur during the Tokyo Olympics, which open on the 23rd of next month. Photo by Moon Honam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Cha Min-young] It has been found that 30% of COVID-19 cases in the Tokyo metropolitan area are caused by the highly contagious Delta variant. With warnings that the Delta variant could account for 50% of cases by the opening of the Summer Olympics on July 23 (local time), the Japanese government is facing increasing concerns.

On the 30th (local time), Japan's Kyodo News cited estimates from the National Institute of Infectious Diseases, reporting that the Delta variant accounts for about 30% of COVID-19 cases in the Kanto region.

The institute presented this estimate at a Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare expert meeting held that day, stating that the distribution of infected individuals is estimated as such by the end of this month. The institute warned that the Delta variant is gradually spreading its influence in the Kanto region and could exceed 50% by mid-next month.

The Kanto region consists of major metropolitan local governments in the capital area, including Tokyo Metropolis, Ibaraki, Tochigi, Gunma, Saitama, Chiba, and Kanagawa Prefectures. The Delta variant is known to be more contagious than the existing COVID-19 virus and spreads more easily than the Alpha variant that was prevalent in the United Kingdom.

With the Olympics opening in about 20 days and an expected increase in people's movement, if the Delta variant becomes dominant, the speed of infection spread could accelerate further. The number of confirmed cases in Tokyo has increased for 11 consecutive days, with the rate of increase expanding compared to the same day of the previous week, indicating that the Japanese government's quarantine plans are already failing to function effectively.

The Japanese government will hold a COVID-19 task force meeting chaired by Prime Minister Suga on July 8 to decide whether to extend priority measures in Tokyo and other areas. On the 21st, it was decided after discussions with the International Olympic Committee to allow domestic spectators up to 10,000 people, within 50% of stadium capacity. If a state of emergency or priority measures are still in effect after July 12, additional measures, including holding events without spectators, will be prepared.

According to local public broadcaster NHK, as of 6:30 p.m. on the 29th, the number of new COVID-19 cases in Japan reached 1,381. The cumulative number of confirmed cases rose to 798,693.

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