Japan drafts policy bracing for 8th wave of COVID-19 infections

People wearing face masks walk through the Shibuya scramble crossing in Tokyo, Japan, Jan. 21, 2021.(Xinhua/Zhang Xiaoyu)

Japan's health ministry has decided to revise the current five-scale alert of COVID-19 infection status to a four-scale one. A level similar to the seventh wave or higher will be rated as Level 3, which means infections continue to expand.

TOKYO, Nov. 11 (Xinhua) -- The Japanese government on Thursday decided on a policy to allow each prefectural government to declare stepped-up coronavirus measures, amid growing concerns about the possible arrival of the eighth infection wave.

Japan's health ministry also decided at a meeting to revise the current five-scale alert of infection status to a four-scale one. A level similar to the seventh wave or higher will be rated as Level 3, which means infections continue to expand.

The country logged 78,268 new infections nationwide on the same day, up more than 10,000 from a week ago, with 84 new fatalities among COVID-19 patients.

Tokyo confirmed 7,969 daily cases, with Hokkaido reporting 8,457 and Kanagawa Prefecture 5,190.

A music performance is held in a flea market at Showa Memorial Park in Tokyo, Japan, June 4, 2022.(Xinhua/Zhang Xiaoyu)

According to the health ministry, Hokkaido, the northernmost main island, saw the highest rise among the 47 prefectures with 850 cases per 100,000 people in the most recent week, adding that in areas with colder weather, infections could spread faster due to the difficulty in implementing ventilation.

Shigeru Omi, who heads the panel of experts advising the health ministry, said Thursday the number of new infections is now on an upward trend across Japan, adding that it can be said that the country is now entering the eighth wave of infections.

On Wednesday, the ministry's experts panel warned that the latest wave of infections might match or exceed the previous wave's peak of more than 260,000 daily cases seen in August.