Japan has strengthened its medical capacity to be able to receive 37,000 patients at hospitals, up 30 percent compared with this summer, in preparation for a possible resurgence of the COVID-19, the health minister said Tuesday.
Health Minister Shigeyuki Goto said at a press conference that the government has met its goal, which was officially decided in November, of securing more beds at hospitals.
Although the government will review the policy when needed due to rising concerns over the Omicron variant of the COVID-19, he added.
"We will be flexible in coming up with a way of offering medical care," Goto said.
The decision came after a fifth wave of infection cases in Japan this summer, during which many people were forced to recuperate at home, with cases where people died at home without being hospitalized.
Infection cases in the country have declined dramatically, while concerns remain over a possible sixth wave of infections, especially after the highly contagious Omicron variant was detected. Japan has confirmed three cases of the strain as of Monday.
The government data showed about 77 percent of the population has finished the full vaccination against the virus.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida vowed on Monday in his policy speech to "prepare for the worst" in dealing with the Omicron variant.
Kishida said his government will shorten the time from the previous eight months between receiving a second shot and being eligible for a booster vaccine.
The COVID-19 booster shots program in Japan had started last Wednesday for individuals who received their second shot at least eight months ago, with health care professionals across the country the first in line for third doses of the vaccine developed by Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE, to be followed by the elderly in the near future.
Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Seiji Kihara said Sunday that the government is eyeing approving Moderna Inc.'s COVID-19 vaccine for use as a booster along with the Pfizer vaccine.
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