Japan Govt to Take Coordinating Role in Future Pandemics

   Tokyo, April 19 (Jiji Press)--The Japanese government will take a coordinating role and issue instructions to local governments on responses when public health crises involving infectious diseases happen again, based on lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic, according to its draft plans.
   The draft plans seek to take infection prevention measures flexibly to lessen the impact on social and economic activities while calling on local governments and hospitals to sign accords to conduct pandemic response drills in ordinary times.
   The plans represent the first full-scale update to the central government's 2013 action plan for responding to public health crises involving outbreaks of infectious diseases. The central government plans to adopt the update as early as June.
   During the COVID-19 pandemic, the lack of clarity over the boundary between the authority of the central and local governments led to confusion over response measures.
   The draft plans include specific cases in which the central government will give instructions to local governments, such as when restrictions, including requests for shorter business hours at stores, vary by municipality.

(2024/04/19-21:33)