• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

• 

On June 23, 2021, the Prime Minister held the first ministerial meeting on the progress in countermeasures against the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) at the Prime Minister’s Office.

At the meeting, the participants engaged in discussions on the progress in countermeasures against COVID-19.

Following the discussion, the Prime Minister said,
 
 “We held this ministerial meeting for the relevant ministers to share the situation about and progress in countermeasures against COVID-19 and discuss how we will respond going forward toward the goal of restoring our daily lives in which we feel at ease at the earliest possible time.
 
The numbers of new infections and patients with severe symptoms have continued to decline nationwide, and the hospital bed capacity has significantly improved, with the occupancy rate falling from 49 percent at the end of last month to 25 percent.
 
However, we have seen the number of new infections failing to drop any further in the Greater Tokyo area, and particularly in Tokyo, the number of new cases has increased by approximately 10 percent over the past week. The situation requires us to stay highly vigilant of a rebound of infections. Hence, we will thoroughly implement countermeasures and flexibly respond depending on the situation, including carrying out stronger measures.
 
We will also keep an eye out for coronavirus variants and conduct testing for the Delta strain, which was first detected in India, in all prefectures.
 
With regard to vaccinations, vaccine doses administered over the past week increased by more than 8 million in number, with the cumulative total of doses administered surpassing 34 million. Approximately half of the elderly population have received at least one dose.
 
Against this background, the most recent data reveals that the ratio of the elderly to new patients stands at 11 percent range, showing a drop from 17 percent range at the end of last month. Clusters at medical institutions accounted for 29 percent in mid-February, when the inoculations of medical practitioners had yet to start, but the figure is 3 percent, according the latest data.
 
Starting this week, companies and universities have begun full-scale inoculations. Soon afterwards, I visited vaccination sites and heard from those working on-site that they would be able to feel safe at work. Meanwhile, as of yesterday, we have received a very large number of applications covering 15 million people at 3,700 locations. In light of these circumstances, we will examine the applications and continue to respond appropriately to facilitate vaccinations.
 
I ask each minister to collaborate with each other and advance response measures with a sense of speed and ahead of time.”