By NATSUNO OTAHARA/ Staff Writer
September 15, 2023 at 18:14 JST
The influenza virus (Provided by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Experts warned that simultaneous outbreaks of COVID-19 and influenza are occurring in Tokyo schools, disrupting many schools and forcing classes to be canceled.
“There are concerns that infections will spread from schoolchildren to older, more vulnerable generations,” they said in a Tokyo metropolitan government liaison conference on Sept. 14.
The conference, held at the Tokyo metropolitan government building, focused on measures to tackle infectious diseases.
On the same day, the metropolitan government released the infection data for the week of Sept. 4 to 10.
Four-hundred and seventeen regularly monitoring medical institutions reported a total of 6,824 COVID patients that week, averaging 16.36 COVID patients per institution. The previous week, the figure was 17.01.
These numbers are close to those in December of last year--the peak of the eighth wave, which reached 19.78 COVID patients per institution at its height.
Additionally, a total of 2,481 influenza patients were reported from 417 institutions between Sept. 4 and 10. They averaged 5.95 patients per institution, up from 2.95 patients the previous week.
The figure significantly exceeds the threshold of 1 patient per institution, which officially constitutes the start of an outbreak.
According to the Tokyo metropolitan government, influenza typically spreads from December to March, but the number of cases currently appearing, well outside the typical flu season, is unusually high.
The impact is already being felt in Tokyo schools.
From Sept. 4 to 10, 53 public schools in Tokyo canceled classes due to influenza outbreaks.
Meanwhile, the metropolitan government also announced that its medical system policy for COVID-19 will see some changes starting in October. Officials will stop securing accommodation facilities specifically for elderly and pregnant COVID patients, and will stop arranging hospitalizations through public health centers.
However, the consultation services for COVID patients will remain available after October.
Schools hit hard as influenza epidemic extends into May
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Tokyo logs 2,539 new cases and 10 deaths from COVID-19
September 3, 2021
Eighth wave of COVID-19 cases strain medical services, doctors
January 13, 2023
Tokyo lowers COVID-19 alert level to second-highest level 3
September 30, 2021
Japan’s total number of COVID-19 cases tops 1.5 million
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