Japan May Be On Its 19th COVID Wave

Japan may have entered its ninth wave of COVID-19 infections, an expert who served as the government's top coronavirus adviser said, stressing the importance of protecting vulnerable elderly individuals from the disease, Mainichi Japan reported.

Photo Insert: In the eighth wave, observed between late November and late January, the country saw the number of daily infections peak at more than 246,000 in early January.

"A ninth wave may have started," Shigeru Omi told reporters after meeting with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida to discuss the recent nationwide increase in infections after the government eased countermeasures, including downgrading the legal status of the disease to the same category as seasonal influenza in May.

"As people have been increasingly in contact with others, (the rise in infections) is as expected," Omi also said.

He underscored that people at high risk of developing severe illness should be vaccinated.

"I don't know if the number of infected people will surpass that of the eighth wave, but we should focus on reducing the number of deaths and ensuring the continuity of social activities."

In the eighth wave, observed between late November and late January, the country saw the number of daily infections peak at more than 246,000 in early January.

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