A new government subcommittee on the novel coronavirus held its first meeting Monday, with the Abe administration and public health officials attempting to renew their cooperation in fighting the pandemic by offering a clean slate after recent incidents had triggered mutual distrust.
Officials and public health experts had been at odds with each other over their tasks, and the meeting offered a fresh chance to set the record straight on their respective responsibilities while bringing in experts outside the realm of public health, in addition to considering how to keep the economy afloat.
“Up until now, we’ve received advice from the government panel of infectious disease experts, set up under the government coronavirus task force, from a medical and public health point of view,” said economic revitalization minister Yasutoshi Nishimura, who leads the government's coronavirus response.