The ongoing sixth wave of infections with the novel coronavirus cannot be overcome only by restricting people's activities. It is important for the government to present specific measures to accelerate the pace of vaccinations.
The government has decided to extend the period of quasi-emergency priority measures for 13 prefectures, including Tokyo, by three more weeks through March 6.
The number of cases continues to rise -- although there are exceptions to this trend, such as Hiroshima and Okinawa prefectures, where quasi-emergency priority measures began earlier than in the 13 prefectures that will get extensions. The number of seriously ill patients is increasing, and the tallies of deaths on recent days have surpassed those seen during the peak of the fifth wave last summer.
