Japan: According to reports, Japan will revise its assessment criteria for the Covid-19 situation, focusing on hospital capacity rather than the number of new infections. The situation is currently classified into four levels, which the central government and prefectural governments have used to determine the appropriate anti-measures, according to the reports.
During a meeting of the government's subcommittee on the Covid-19 response, the new system, which has five levels, is discussed. It will include a forecast of hospital bed availability and an attempt to predict whether infections will resurface and put a strain on the medical system.
Minister of Economic Revitalization Daishiro Yamagiwa, who is in charge of the Covid-19 response, said the government has begun developing new standards, which are expected to be released by mid-November. "In light of today's discussions, we'd like to plan for a possible infection resurgence by assuming the worst-case scenario." Level 2 indicates that an increase in infections is beginning to put a strain on the system, level 3 indicates that a state of emergency is required, and level 4 indicates that hospitals are no longer capable of dealing with Covid-19 patients, even if general medical services are reduced.
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