保育所、コロナで１２６カ所休園　１６都道府県、７月から急増―厚労省

　厚生労働省は１０日、新型コロナウイルス感染拡大を受け、９日時点で１６都道府県にある１２６カ所の保育所や認定こども園が全面休園しているとの集計結果を公表した。いずれも園内や隣接施設で職員や園児に感染者が出たのが理由。感染力の強いデルタ株の流行が背景にあるとみられ、７月初めと比べ、約８倍に増えている。
　厚労省は全国の自治体に休園数の報告を求め、１週間ごとに集計している。これまでに感染者が発生した保育所数は延べ５６２７カ所で、感染者数は職員５５５０人、園児６７５１人。休園数は７月１日時点で１６カ所だったが、その後、全国の新規感染者数の伸びに伴い、９月２日時点では最多の１８５カ所に達した。今回は感染者数の減少と連動する形で減少に転じたが、依然として高い水準で推移している。（2021/09/10-16:44）

A total of 126 nurseries and certified "kodomoen" kindergarten-nursery hybrids in 16 prefectures were fully closed as of Thursday due to novel coronavirus infections, the health ministry said in a survey report on Friday.
   The temporary closures came after the discovery of infection cases among staff members or children at the establishments or neighboring facilities.
   The total of closed nurseries marked a steep increase of about eightfold from 16 on July 1, seemingly reflecting the spread of the highly infectious delta variant of the virus, which was first identified in India.
   According to the ministry, a cumulative total of 5,627 such preschool facilities across Japan have reported infection cases involving 5,550 staff members and 6,751 children.
   The number of closed facilities surged to a record high of 185 as of Sept. 2 in line with growth in the nationwide total of new infection cases.