コロナ感染「減少傾向継続」　医療体制、依然厳しく―厚労省助言組織

　新型コロナウイルス対策を助言する厚生労働省の専門家組織「アドバイザリーボード」の会合が１１日開かれ、新規感染者数について「１月上旬以降、減少傾向が継続している」との見解を公表した。入院者数も減少が続くが、緊急事態宣言が出る東京など１０都府県では、医療提供体制が依然として厳しいと分析した。
　６０歳以上の新規感染者の割合が高まっており、重症者の減少には時間がかかるという。座長の脇田隆字・国立感染症研究所長は「今後のワクチン接種に向け、医療機関の負荷を減らすためにも新規感染者を減らす必要がある」と話した。（2021/02/11-17:22）

A Japanese health ministry panel of experts said Thursday that new cases of novel coronavirus infection have been on a declining trend in the country since early January.
   At a meeting on the day, the advisory board on the virus crisis also showed a view that the medical care systems in Tokyo and nine other prefectures under the government's fresh state of emergency over the virus remain under strain although the number of hospitalized coronavirus patients has been decreasing.
   With the proportion of people aged 60 or over in new infection cases on the rise, it will take time before the number of severely ill patients goes down, according to the panel.
   "New infection cases must be reduced to ease the burden on medical institutions toward the start of coronavirus vaccinations in the nation," said the panel's chief, Takaji Wakita, head of the National Institute of Infectious Diseases.
   The effective reproduction number, or the average number of people to whom an infected person transmits the virus, stood at 0.76 across Japan as of Jan. 25, down from 0.80 as of Jan. 15, according to the panel. A reading of over 1.0 indicates a spread of infection.