Japan´s Kishida lays out new contingency plan against omicron risk

Tokyo, Jan 4 (Prensa Latina) Japan´s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Tuesday assured that his country will gear up efforts to deal with a possible surge in Omicron coronavirus cases and aim to deliver oral treatment using Pfizer Inc's (PFE.N) drugs nationwide next month.

January 4, 2022
17:16

Kishida also said the government will decide next week whether to extend border controls, which he said had prevented a spike in infection numbers.

“We’ll prepare to shift the focus of Japan’s Omicron response to domestic measures to guard against the worst-case scenario of a possible spike in community transmissions,” Kishida told a news conference.

Aside from antiviral pills developed by Merck & Co Inc (MRK.N) already delivered nationwide, the government will aim to roll out “at the earliest date possible in February” Pfizer’s oral treatment drugs in Japan, he said.

As more oral drugs become available, Japan will allow more patients to receive treatment at home to avoid a resurgence in infections from triggering a shortage of hospital beds, he said.

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