Japan should aim to eliminate covid -19
Kazuki Shimizu, Yasuharu Tokuda, Kenji Shibuya
Abstract
Compared with other G7 countries, Japan has been relatively successful in mitigating the spread of covid-19. 1However, Japan has the second worst record in the Western Pacific region, with over 40 deaths per million population over the course of the crisis. 1 Japan entered a second state of emergency in January 2021 2 following an exponential rise in confirmed cases of covid-19. 1A clear, consistent exit strategy is now critical.Despite shortcomings in its early covid-19 response, 3 4 Japan failed to reflect sufficiently on lessons from the first wave, sticking instead to notions of exceptionalism.Unlike several countries in the region, Japan initially followed a hybrid of mitigation and suppression strategies, primarily focusing on symptomatic patients, controlling clusters, and seeking to find a way of living with the virus rather than eliminating it.However, a hasty resumption of social and economic activity after the first wave brought a resurgence of covid-19.