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Time to whip out your favourite vitamin drinks to boost your immunity, folks. The Tokyo Metropolitan Government just announced a new influenza warning as of January 29. A previous warning had been issued in November, but was subsequently lifted as cases dropped. Now the warning is back again, making this the first time in 17 years that cases have risen past warning levels twice in a single season.
Between January 19 and 25, cases reached 13.83 per medical facility, or a little above the recommended 10, prompting this week's warning. The government speculates the high number of cases – over 6,000 among schools and other facilities from September to now – is due to schools reopening, plus increased movement during the New Year holiday.
It's hard to say when cases will drop again, so until then, you know the drill: wash your hands frequently with soap and water, disinfect surfaces, stay in well-ventilated areas, and if you're headed to one of next week's many Setsubun festival celebrations, you're likely gonna want to mask up.
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