A panel of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party drew up on Monday a set of urgent proposals including a request for group vaccinations against the new coronavirus for residents and workers at elderly care facilities.
The Japanese government has asked ten prefectures under its coronavirus state of emergency to launch an intensive coronavirus testing campaign at elderly care facilities. The action is in response to the growing number of cluster infections at such facilities.
The burden rate of medical fees will go up to 20 pct from 10 pct at present if the bill is enacted. The income threshold will be 3.2 million yen for two-member households in which both are 75 or older.
“The prime minister’s words sounded to me more like ‘Die if you don’t have money,’ passing over ‘We won’t help you until the very end.’ And it made me tear up,” a woman in her 30s in the western Japan city of Osaka said. Both she and her husband have disabilities, and live on welfare and disability pensions.
The first oral argument in a lawsuit in which three people with disabilities in Oita City sought damages from JR Kyushu (Fukuoka City) was held at the Oita District Court on the 4th, alleging that the unmanned railway station violated freedom of movement.
Some Japanese disability rights groups have highlighted issues with the bill, as it requires the child to be in ‘good physical and mental health’.
The Japanese government plans to start the vaccination in late February. About 10,000 to 20,000 medical professionals will be first in line for inoculation, followed by other medical workers, elderly people and people with underlying conditions, and other citizens.
According to the ministry, the vaccination tickets will be sent to about 36 million elderly people, who are third priority for vaccinations, after the first group of 10,000 to 20,000 medical workers and the second of 3.7 million other medical workers.
The Nagasaki Labor Bureau has summarized the employment situation of persons with disabilities in the prefecture (as of June 1, last year). In private companies, the actual employment rate, which indicates the ratio of persons with disabilities to employees, increased by 0.07 points from the previous year to 2.61%, the highest ever since the start of aggregation in 1977.
It was found that a female teacher in her 60s working at a special school in western Gunma Prefecture posted on Twitter content that discriminates against persons with disabilities. The prefectural board of education is also grasping the facts and considering the disposal of the teacher.
Barrier Free Japan