重症者増、影響長期化を懸念　感染者減も「危機的」―東京都会議

　東京都は１７日、新型コロナウイルスのモニタリング会議を開いた。新規陽性者数は減少傾向にあるものの、専門家は「危機的な感染状況が続いている」と指摘し、ワクチンの追加接種を進める必要性を強調。高齢者を中心に重症患者が増加しており、「（医療体制への）影響が長引くことに警戒する必要がある」とした。
　７日間平均の新規陽性者数は１６日時点で、前週比１７．７％減の１万４５６３．７人。８日の１万８０２４．７人をピークに減少に転じているが、同会議は４段階で表す感染状況の警戒レベルを、最も深刻な状態に据え置いた。
　医療提供体制についても、「通常の医療も含めて逼迫（ひっぱく）している」として、４段階中最も深刻なレベルを維持。人工呼吸管理が必要な重症者数は前週の５９人から８１人に増えており、「新規陽性者数よりも遅れて増加する」と警戒を促した。（2022/02/17-16:23）

Experts expressed concerns Thursday about the prolonged effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on Tokyo's medical system, especially in light of an increase in severely ill elderly patients.
   "The infection situation remains critical," experts said at a Tokyo metropolitan government meeting for monitoring the COVID-19 situation in the Japanese capital, seeking to promote booster vaccinations.
   The seven-day average of daily infection cases in Tokyo fell 17.7 pct from a week before to 14,563.7 as of Wednesday. While the figure has been on the decline since peaking at 18,024.7 on Feb. 8, the metropolitan government kept its COVID-19 alert unchanged at the highest level on its four-tier scale.
   The metropolitan government also kept its alert on medical care availability unchanged at the highest level of its four-tier system. The number of severely ill COVID-19 patients requiring ventilators rose to 81 as of Wednesday from 59 a week before.
   "There is strain on the medical system, including for non-COVID-19 medical care," the metropolitan government said. "Severely ill patients tend to increase later than new positive cases," it warned.