変異株疑い、週２３５２人　全都道府県で確認―新型コロナ

　厚生労働省は２１日、変異した新型コロナウイルスの疑い例が２０日までの１週間で新たに２３５２人確認されたと発表した。前週（１５２５人）の約１．５倍で、変異株の拡大が加速している。
　疑い例は簡易検査による判明分で、累計は４６都道府県の５９１６人となった。厚労省のまとめには含まれていないが、山形県も疑い例が見つかったと発表しており、全都道府県に広がったことになる。
　厚労省によると累計のうち、最多は大阪府の９７９人（前週比２０９人増）だが、東京都は９６７人（同５４９人増）と増加数が突出している。他に埼玉県（３４２人、同１９６人増）、神奈川県（２６０人、同１２０人増）、北海道（２２６人、同１１９人増）の増加幅が目立った。
　全遺伝情報（ゲノム）解析で確定した変異株の累計感染者数は、空港検疫を含めて１８８０人。感染力が強い「Ｎ５０１Ｙ」変異のある英国型が大半を占めた。（2021/04/21-20:58）

The number of suspected novel coronavirus variant cases detected in Japan in the week to Tuesday came to 2,352, up from 1,525 reported in the preceding week, the health ministry said Wednesday.
   The suspected cases were detected in simple tests.
   The cumulative number of suspected variant cases reached 5,916, found in 46 of the country's 47 prefectures, excluding Yamagata in northeastern Japan, according to the ministry. The Yamagata prefectural government has announced the discovery of suspected variant infection cases although they were not included in the tally reported by the health ministry.
   By prefecture, Osaka, western Japan, had the most cumulative variant cases as of Tuesday, at 979, up by 209 from a week before, followed by Tokyo, at 967, up by 549, according to the ministry data. Cumulative variant cases stood at 342 in Saitama, north of Tokyo, up by 196, at 260 in Kanagawa, south of Tokyo, up by 120, and at 226 in the northernmost prefecture of Hokkaido, up by 119.
   The number of coronavirus variant cases confirmed through genome analysis totaled 1,880. Most of the cases were of the highly contagious N501Y mutant strain, which was first detected in Britain.