Photo/Illutration Shigeru Omi, who headed an expert panel advising the government on COVID-19 measures, speaks to reporters after meeting with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on June 26. (Koichi Ueda)

An expert who served as the government’s top COVID-19 adviser suggested Japan may have entered its ninth wave of the novel coronavirus. 

“Cases of infection are slightly on the rise nationwide, and the ninth wave may have begun,” said Shigeru Omi, who was chief of an expert panel advising the government on measures to tackle COVID-19. “It is becoming extremely important to consider how to protect the elderly.”

He spoke to reporters after exchanging views on the current situation and outlook with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida at the prime minister’s office on June 26.

“Looking at the data from regularly monitoring (medical institutions), the cases are slightly on the rise across the country, although there are some differences among prefectures,” Omi said.

He said the slight rise can be attributed to people coming increasingly in contact with others since the classification of COVID-19 under the infectious diseases control law was lowered to Category 5, the same level as seasonal influenza.

He also said the situation could settle into an endemic state, where infections are regionally prevalent.

“The fatality rate has not rapidly changed,” he added.

Omi stressed the importance of protecting the elderly and individuals with underlying diseases who are at risk of severe illness while also maintaining social and economic activities.

He urged people to get the sixth dose of the vaccine.

“We need to carefully monitor the number of new cases and deaths,” he said.

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