A panel of experts advising the government on the new coronavirus outbreak warned March 19 that an explosive growth of cases could occur at any time as infections are being found in people with no known link to an affected area or known instance, mainly in urban districts.

While the feared spurt of infections in Hokkaido has not occurred, so far at least, a raft of cases involving travelers returning from abroad has been discovered, clearly demanding stronger border control measures. The situation requires steps to prepare the nation for a long, drawn-out fight.

The most urgent priority is to buttress the capabilities of local public health centers, which are on the front line of this battle.

Staff members at these facilities have to carry out a wide range of tasks, including testing potential patients, arranging for the hospitalization of people who test positive, ascertaining how each infection came about and responding to calls for help and advice.

If workers at health centers are exposed to an excessive workload over a prolonged period, they inevitably will become fatigued and stressed, and liable to make errors.

In addition to expanding staff numbers at these facilities by hiring part-time workers and other steps, the government should also outsource as many tasks as possible.

The central and local governments should not spare any effort to reduce the burden on health center workers and support the vital job they are doing.

The importance of a swift provision of relevant and detailed information cannot be overstated.

The overview and assessment of the epidemic announced by the expert panel on March 19 is designed to communicate the situation to the public effectively through plain language backed up by key data.

The council's news conference, which started late at night, lasted for two hours. In days to come, the experts will continue receiving requests for even more detailed information and opinions.

The panel classified areas into three categories based on the state of infections. In areas where the outbreak is winding down or no confirmed case has been reported, the panel said voluntary restrictions on activities should be gradually lifted, starting with such low-risk ones as practicing and watching sports outdoors and visiting events at cultural and arts facilities.

We have no objection to this policy per se. But organizers and sponsors of events probably want to know where they can turn to for more information and counsel concerning issues such as precisely which geographical parts each "area" represents, how to find out about the state of infections in a specific area and steps they should take to reduce the risk of infections for a specific event.

To respond to these and other questions, the functions and number of members of the expert panel need to be expanded so as to enhance its ability to carry out related scientific analyses and gather and communicate information.

To secure the people's understanding of its efforts to rein in the spread of COVID-19, the government must demonstrate its wholehearted, clearly visible commitment to tackling this colossal public health challenge and keep presenting updates and responses.

The Abe administration has shown reluctance to offer detailed explanations about its policy decisions and actions or even answer tough questions about them.

But the administration will not be able to get through this crisis, which is threatening the people's health and their social and economic life, without changing its usual approach to dealing with policy issues.

From this point of view, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's actions during a March 20 meeting of the government's epidemic response team were questionable.

In response to the expert panel's opinions, Abe called for steps to prepare for reopening schools, which have been suspended since his abrupt request for nationwide closures. But he made no clear remarks about the voluntary restrictions on events, which are also based on his equally abrupt decision.

We wonder how he views his responsibility for the consequences of these policy decisions.

The government needs to base its policy decisions concerning the epidemic on views and opinions formulated by experts based on solid science and reliable data. Every element of this process is vital for a victory over the nasty virus.

--The Asahi Shimbun, March 21