Japan accused of ‘massaging’ coronavirus figures ahead of Tokyo Olympics
- A new counting method adopted in June leaves out some groups from bed occupancy figures, immediately bringing some areas to within the limits set by medical advisers for a safe Games
- Critics accuse the health ministry of a ‘blatant attempt to make things appear better than they are’, while health experts warn another wave of infections is inevitable and could peak just as the Olympics begin
Previously, the total bed occupancy rate for people with the virus included inpatients in hospitals as well as people quarantining at home as they waited to be admitted to a hospital for treatment. It also included people who were not in hospital beds specifically set aside for coronavirus patients.
Under the health ministry’s revised calculation method, people at home awaiting a space in a hospital are no longer counted in the bed occupancy rates. Similarly, non-critical coronavirus patients in ordinary hospital wards have been dropped from the ministry’s totals.
The new method immediately enabled the ministry to reduce the number of prefectures with bed occupancy rates above 50 per cent – considered to be Stage 4 of “explosive infection rate” and where the health-care system is on the brink of collapse – from 20 prefectures to just 11.
The hospital bed occupancy rate is significant as it is one of the indicators that the government uses to monitor the pandemic and introduce or cancel state-of-emergency orders.
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