Japan’s Covid-19 infections have entered ‘new phase,’ says health minister

Health Minister Norihisa Tamura defended the policy shift, saying that by asking people with less serious symptoms to isolate at home, Japan can ensure it does not run out of hospital beds for people in need of intensive care.

“The pandemic has entered a new phase … Unless we have enough beds, we can’t bring people into hospitals. We’re acting pre-emptively on this front,” Tamura told parliament.

“It’s important to act with speed,” he said, adding that the government was ready to roll back the new policy if it does not help address a crunch in hospitals.