Japan new flu infections near 200, onboard checks to be phased out

TOKYO, May 19 Kyodo -
The government will phase out onboard quarantine inspections at airports to
detect infections of the new strain of influenza to focus on measures to
prevent the domestic spread of the new flu as the number of cases in Japan
approached 200, according to health ministry officials and local authorities
Tuesday.
The quarantine inspections aboard airplanes arriving in Japan from North
America will be terminated as early as the end of this week after gradually
being scaled down, officials of the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry said.
The measure was put in place to prevent the entry of the new H1N1 flu strain
into Japan but the number of people infected with the new influenza in the
country had reached 191 by Tuesday evening after Osaka and Hyogo prefectures,
where the outbreaks have been confirmed so far, reported more infections.
Amid the quick spread in Japan, ''It is only natural (for the government) to
shift its focus to measures to prevent the domestic spread from those to block
entry at borders,'' Prime Minister Taro Aso told reporters in the evening.
But the prime minister also expressed concern over the possible repercussions
of imposing too strict measures on people's lives and business activities. ''To
what degree we will put forth measures -- that's a hard decision to make,'' he
said.
Prefectural government officials in Osaka said the local government is planning
to ask the central government to upgrade its new-flu action program by limiting
the area to Osaka and Hyogo so hospitals that are not designated to treat the
flu can provide medical care to the increasing number of infected people.
But Chief Cabinet Secretary Takeo Kawamura expressed caution, saying he hopes
the local governments give full consideration to preventing people with chronic
diseases from being infected with the new flu.
However, Kawamura also said it is necessary for the local governments to
''flexibly'' implement measures announced by the government such as having
people displaying mild symptoms treated at home.
In the morning press conference, Kawamura said that the quarantine inspections
have been productive as they discovered four infection cases at Narita
International Airport, near Tokyo.
''But we have to shift our focus to domestic measures in line with the spread
(of the flu),'' he said. ''From this aspect, we think we need to scale down the
operations (to prevent entry of the new flu).''
The government is now considering the timing for terminating the inspections,
he added.
The four infection cases were discovered during inspections at Narita among a
group of Japanese students and teachers who returned from a trip to Canada via
the United States earlier this month.
The quarantine inspections have been conducted aboard airplanes from the United
States, Canada and Mexico arriving at Narita, Kansai and Chubu airports.
Health, Labor and Welfare Minister Yoichi Masuzoe said at a separate news
conference, ''We can assume that the virus is spreading domestically already,''
referring to the new-flu cases found in Hyogo and Osaka prefectures.
''We have to devote human resources to respond to such a situation,'' he said.
Masuzoe also suggested the government will allow local governments more
authority on taking measures to tackle the new influenza, such as hospitalizing
infected people and restricting people's movements or activities.
More than 9,800 people in 42 countries and territories were confirmed as having
been infected with the new flu, with 78 dead in four countries, as of Tuesday
evening Japan time.
==Kyodo