Japan found a record 110,600 new COVID cases on Saturday, surpassing the previous high set in February, just as the country prepares for the summer holidays, public broadcaster NHK said.
Deaths and severe illness have remained at relatively low levels so far in the current wave.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told a July 14 news conference that he wasn’t planning any return to restrictions on people’s movements, nor thinking of strengthening border controls at that point. The premier — fresh from a July 10 upper house election victory — has previously won public support for his cautious stance on Covid, including encouraging mask-wearing and maintaining border restrictions long after other developed countries had opened up.
He may be more reluctant to seek limits on people’s movements now, with the economy stuttering and the yen in a slump not seen for decades.
Japan has rolled out three vaccination shots to the bulk of its population, but is limiting fourth doses to the elderly, those suffering from underlying health conditions, and people working in the medical field or elderly care. Most of those eligible have yet to take up the offer of a fourth shot.
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