緊急事態宣言、今週も解除せず　医療体制の逼迫考慮―政府

　政府は、新型コロナウイルス対策として１０都府県に発令中の緊急事態宣言について、今週中の解除決定は行わない方針を固めた。新規感染者数は減少傾向にあるものの、医療提供体制の逼迫（ひっぱく）が続く状況を考慮した。複数の政府関係者が１７日、明らかにした。
　加藤勝信官房長官は同日の記者会見で「感染や医療提供体制の状況を注視して判断したい」と述べた。（2021/02/17-19:41）

The Japanese government will keep its coronavirus state of emergency in place at least for this week, several government sources said Wednesday.
   The government will not make a decision to lift the emergency this week, given that the medical system remains strained despite the number of new cases being on a downtrend across the country, with the daily count in Tokyo staying below 500 for the 11th straight day.
   Earlier this month, the government extended the state of emergency in Tokyo and nine other prefectures by a month until March 7.
   Also, lifting of the emergency was foregone to avoid placing burdens on medical professionals with vaccinations beginning in the country Wednesday.
   Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga hopes to end the state of emergency earlier in areas showing improved coronavirus situations. The government will thus continue to carefully watch region-by-region indicators such as the bed occupancy for COVID-19 patients at hospitals.