Japan may have entered its ninth wave of Covid-19 infections, Kyodo quoted an expert who served as the government’s top coronavirus adviser as having said on Monday.
Shigeru Omi stressed the importance of protecting vulnerable elderly individuals from the disease.
He was speaking to reporters after meeting with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida to discuss the recent nationwide increase in infections after the government eased countermeasures, including downgrading the legal status of the disease to the same category as seasonal influenza in May.
“As people have been increasingly in contact with others, (the rise in infections) is as expected,” Omi also said.
He underscored that people at high risk of developing severe illness should be vaccinated.
“I don’t know if the number of infected people will surpass that of the eighth wave, but we should focus on reducing the number of deaths and ensuring the continuity of social activities.”
