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TOKYO : Following the heightened alert level by the World Health Organisation (WHO), the Japanese government gathered top officials of each ministry on Thursday morning to step up its surveillance of possible swine influenza and inform the public on any developments.
The swine flu scare could not have hit Japan at a worse time, as the country was gearing up for a long holiday season.
The Golden Week holiday, which officially begins on April 29, is the time of the year when corporate employees in Japan can be relieved from the daily pressure in the office, and schoolchildren can keep away from classrooms.
According to the Labour Ministry, on the average, a Japanese worker will take 5.5 days off. A number of Japanese were expected to travel overseas, due to lowered oil surcharge and a stronger Japanese yen.
But with the swine flu alert, that forecast may no longer hold true.
Travel agencies and airline companies were looking to boost business after facing losses, due to the recession. But that hope is now tarnished.
The Japanese government has expanded its travel advisory from Mexico, to the rest of North America, Germany, and New Zealand. These are countries where swine flu patients have been confirmed.
From Tuesday, passengers entering from Mexico and mainland US have been checked for any flu-like symptoms.
And on Thursday, even the Self Defence Forces medical team has joined the quarantine group.
Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Takeo Kawamura said: "We don't have any plans to make drastic changes to our current countermeasures in reaction to the WHO raising the alert level. However, we plan to continue a thorough monitoring of our coasts as we also keep an eye on the spread. It is important for us to take urgent and proper procedures if we do find a case in Japan."
On Friday, the National Institute of Infectious Diseases will distribute kits to major medical institutes around the country, so patients outside of big cities can be quickly checked for the swine flu. - CNA /ls
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