Japanese island suffering second wave of coronavirus after lifting
lockdown too early
[The Telegraph]
Julian Ryall
,The Telegraph•April 29, 2020


A northern region of Japan is experiencing a second wave of coronavirus
infections - and deaths - that experts say could have been avoided if
the state of emergency had not been lifted too early.

The island of Hokkaido had been held up as a model of how to control the
spread of the virus, but it has now become a case study for the impact
the disease can have if a lockdown is relaxed too soon.

And experts say they hope that other cities and nations that are toying
with the idea of lifting restrictions on travel, work and schools can
learn from Hokkaido’s experience.

Naomichi Suzuki, the prefectural governor, on February 29 declared a
state of emergency in response to a sharp increase in coronavirus cases,
all of which could be traced back to the Sapporo Snow Festival at the
beginning of the month. The annual event attracted more than 2 million
people to the city, with local health authorities treating a Chinese
tourist from Wuhan who had contracted the illness before arriving in
Hokkaido.

Despite the state of emergency, 118 people were being treated for the
virus by March 12, making Hokkaido the worst-hit of all Japan’s 47
prefectures.

In tandem with the state of emergency - under which schools were closed,
large-scale gatherings were cancelled and people were officially
“encouraged� to stay at home - the local government introduced
aggressive measures to trace and isolate anyone who had been in contact
with victims. The approach appeared to have been effective and, just a
week later, the number of new cases had fallen to one or two a day.

Assuming that they had weathered the storm - and keen to get the local
economy operating again - local authorities lifted the state of
emergency on March 19, with schools and businesses reopening.

With hindsight, experts agree, it was too early and, just 26 days later
and after 135 new infections were reported in the space of a week, the
lockdown was reimposed on Hokkaido’s 5.3 million residents.

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