Olympic host Tokyo hits record 2848 COVID-19 case, looking for more hospital beds

TOKYO, July 27 (Reuters) – Tokyo’s 2,848 COVID-19 infections on Tuesday were the highest in the Olympic host city since the pandemic began, officials said authorities said authorities had asked hospitals to prepare more beds for patients as the Delta transformation drives a wave.

The rise in cases threatens to further weaken support for Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, whose grades have fallen to their lowest level since he took office last September, largely due to his random pandemic.

It also causes problems for the Olympics, as many Japanese fear that the arrival of athletes and officials at the event could increase the rise. About 31% in the Nikkei daily survey on Monday said Games should be canceled or postponed again.

“Don’t go out unnecessarily and I want you to watch the Olympics and Paralympics on TV,” Suga told citizens after the ministerial meetings overseeing the coronavirus response.

“Because we’ve seen a decrease in the flow of people, there is no such option,” Suga said when asked if there is a possible option for canceling the Olympics.

Japan has avoided the devastation suffered by other countries such as India, Indonesia and the United States, but the fifth wave of the pandemic, fueled by the Delta variant, is putting pressure on hospitals in Tokyo.

Once the Delta has spread, the number of serious COVID-19 cases in the city last month doubled to about 78 on Monday, government data showed. Coronavirus hospitalization has also jumped to a similar section, reaching 2717.

By Sunday, only 20.8% of the 12,635 COVID-19 patients in the Japanese capital had been able to receive hospital treatment, according to the data. The government’s advisory panel says if the ratio falls below the 25 percent threshold, the emergency should be triggered.

Tokyo has been waiting to rise and given the difficult hospital situation this month, already after the fourth emergency after the Olympics.

“It’s a Delta variant,” said Kenji Shibuya, former director of the Institute of Public Health at King’s College London, explaining the recent rise.

Shibuya added that it was impossible to determine the extent to which the Olympics contributed to growth, but blamed the World Sports Show as “one of the biggest driving forces”.

“The government has sent signals that people are supposed to stay home while they celebrate games. It’s a completely inconsistent message,” said Shibuya, who is leading the introduction of the vaccine in a northern Japanese city.

Doctors have said that since introduction has begun in the elderly, the majority of those affected were now in their 40s and 50s and many were recovering. One death was last recorded in Tokyo on July 19, a sharp drop to the peak of January 38 deaths on January 31.

SLOGGAN ROLLOUT

The city aims to increase the number of beds to 6,406 by the beginning of next month from 5,967 now, broadcaster TBS said.

Hospitals should look at restoring the planned surgery and reducing other treatments, the broadcaster said, referring to the city authorities ’announcement to medical facilities.

Health experts had warned that seasonal factors, increased mobility and the spread of variants would lead to an increase in COVID-19 cases this summer.

Only 36% of the population has received at least one dose, a Follow-up of Reuters vaccinations show.

Inoculations have recently fallen amidst logistical grievances as they have taken in steam from a slow start last month. Nearly two-thirds of respondents to the Nikkei survey said the campaign did not go well.

The survey showed that support for Suga voters fell nine points to 34 percent.

Susan’s term as president of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) ends in September, and her coalition, led by the LDP, faces elections to the strong lower house of parliament, which are due by November.

About a third of the poll wanted the games to be postponed or canceled again, while more than half reported the Japanese border stages as “inappropriate” for future Olympic athletes and officials.

Despite strict quarantine rules for games, 155 cases have occurred involving athletes and others. Read more

A strict “game book” to avoid infection often requires virus testing, limited movement, and masks to be used in most situations.

Rapporteurs: Sam Nussey, Linda Sieg, Rocky Swift, Mari Saito, Yuka Obayashi, Takashi Umekawa, Ami Miyazaki, Antoni Slodkowski and Kiyoshi Takenaka; Edited by Clarence Fernandez, Lincoln Feast and Jacqueline Wong

Our standards: Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.