第３９回Online workshop報告（１１月１２日）

＜Agenda＞

Downgrading COVID-19 to Category 5

The government is considering downgrading COVID-19 to Category 5 because the Omicron variant has a relatively low risk of severe illness.

Downgrading will reduce the administrative burden on medical institutions and public health centers, as they don’t have to track the total number of infected people.

On the other hand, since the medical expenses of COVID-19 are not covered by public expenditure, patients will have to pay their own expenses.

As of September, Minister of Health, Labor and Welfare Kato said, “It’s not realistic at this point.”

On the other hand, in a survey of corporate attitudes, more than half of the companies answered that it would be desirable to downgrade.

In this discussion, after comparing the merits and demerits, please come to a conclusion at your table as to whether or not the Japanese government should downgrade COVID-19 to Category 5.

<Questions>

1.　If the Japanese government downgraded COVID-19 to Category 5, what would be the impact on you personally?

2.　Please list the advantages and disadvantages of downgrading.

If any of the disadvantages are unacceptable to the people, consider ways to avoid them.

3.　Should the Japanese government downgrade COVID-19 to Category 5?

If you think that it should be downgraded when certain conditions are met, please specify them.

At the end of the discussion, please present your table’s conclusions and reasons for all participants.

<References>

What it would mean for Japan to downgrade its COVID classification

Aug 8, 2022 The Japan Times

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2022/08/08/national/covid19-classification-change-explainer/

Japan Considers Downgrading COVID-19 to Less Serious Category

Aug 22, 2022 nippon.com

https://www.nippon.com/en/japan-data/h01407/

コロナの5類への引き下げ「現時点で現実的でない」 加藤厚労相

2022年9月9日 14時26分 NHK News Web

https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20220909/k10013810591000.html

＜速報＞新型コロナウイルス感染症の分類見直しに関する企業の意識調査

2022年9月7日 TDB Economic Online

https://www.tdb-di.com/special-planning-survey/sp20220907.php

＜Q＆A＞新型コロナを「2類相当」から「5類」に引き下げると何が変わる？

2022年2月20日 06時00分 東京新聞 Tokyo Web

https://www.tokyo-np.co.jp/article/161261

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