2020 July 29 - August 4 [
POLITICS]
Opp parties and Tokyo Medical Assoc. separately call for opening of extra Diet session to discuss anti-COVID19 efforts
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Opposition parties, including the Japanese Communist Party and the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, have agreed to demand the opening of an extraordinary Diet session immediately in order to discuss ways to handle the ever-increasing COVID-19 cases.
JCP Chair Shii Kazuo on July 30 held talks with Edano Yukio of the CDPJ and three other party/group leaders in the Diet building.
In the meeting, Shii said, "To flatten the curve, a radical increase in PCR testing capacity is a pressing need," and added, "After pinpointing epicenters, blanket tests are a must for all the people living or working there."
Shii pointed to the need to identify those who are infected but asymptomatic, and suggested that they be quarantined as a measure to deter the spread of infections. He said, "This tactic must be practiced on a large scale."
Also, the Tokyo Medical Association at a press conference held on the same day called for the convening of an extraordinary session of the Diet without delay.
TMA President, Dr. Ozaki Haruo said he hopes that the special measures law on countermeasures against new types of influenza and other infectious diseases will be amended so that legally-binding requests in accompaniment with sufficient compensation and penalties can be made to shops and restaurants located in epicenters. Ozaki also announced that the TMA will prepare to have 1,400 medical institutions in Tokyo carry out PCR tests.
Past related article:
> Tokyo Governor despite COVID-19 spike in Tokyo refuses to answer questions in metropolitan assembly's ad hoc session [July 28, 2020]