© Reuters. Japan Rushes to Cover Virus Gaps After Criticism of Lax Response(Bloomberg) — Japan will speed up the implementation of an order allowing compulsory hospitalization and barring entry to people with symptoms caused by the new coronavirus infection, after criticism that its initial outbreak response was too lax.
While the government moved quickly to begin evacuating hundreds of its citizens from Wuhan, the epicenter of what the World Health Organization has declared an emergency, it has not imposed strict quarantine on the returnees. Three have already returned to their homes in Japan, the government said.
By contrast, Australia plans to isolate its own evacuees from Wuhan on Christmas Island, better known for its grim history as a detention center for would-be asylum seekers. The U.S. flew its citizens from the virus-stricken Chinese city to an isolated military base in California while South Korea has mandated quarantines and tests for its nationals evacuated on government-arranged charter flights.
The death toll from the virus in China rose to 213 Friday, with confirmed cases in the country at 9,692. Fourteen people have been confirmed infected with the virus in Japan, according to Health Minister Katsunobu Kato.
Two of the patients, a bus driver and a tour guide, are thought to have been infected by contact with tourists from Wuhan. Japan, which relies on China as its biggest trading partner and source of tourists, has not restricted visitors from the hardest-hit areas.
“Their forecasting was too optimistic,” said Jun Azumi, an executive with the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party, referring to the Abe administration’s response. Given the rapid rise in the number of Chinese tourists, what happens in China “shouldn’t be treated as happening overseas,” he added.
A specified infectious disease order giving the government powers to force hospitalization will be implemented Feb. 1 instead of Feb. 7 as initially planned, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told parliament Friday. Virus patients will be barred from entering the country from the same date, he added.
The U.S. is now advising its citizens not to travel to China, while Japan has not upgraded its warning since last week, when it told its own people to avoid non-essential travel to Hubei province.
The refusal of two evacuated by Japan from Wuhan to undergo virus testing on their return has also focused attention on the country’s legal framework. Japanese law does not permit authorities to force people to be tested, Abe told parliament Thursday, citing human rights concerns.
The two evacuees, who had been allowed to return home, later agreed to the procedure and have undergone tests, Health Minister Kato said Friday.
“We need to introduce a system that allows for compulsory testing,” Azumi said. “This is a blind spot in the law.”
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Source: Economy - investing.com
