Drug Discov Ther. 2022;16(6):316-317. (DOI: 10.5582/ddt.2022.01073)

Relaxation of all-case reporting of COVID-19 cases in Japan

Karako K

Japan is facing the largest outbreak of COVID-19 in history in 2022. The number of new infections per day surpassed 200,000 for the first time in July and peaked in August. Japan has required the reporting of information on all infected persons, but maintaining this system is difficult. Starting in September 2, 2022, four prefectures have implemented a trial policy to limit the infected that must be reported in order to reduce the burden on medical personnel. The policy obliges medical facilities to report only people with a high-risk infection, but the number of the infected will continue to be counted regardless of whether they have a high-risk or low-risk infection. More prefectures are expected to adopt this policy in the future.

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