2022-08-19 16:53
Source: Xinhuanet Author: Hua Yi
Editor: Luo Sheng
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Xinhua News Agency, Tokyo, August 18th reporter’s note: Japan’s new crown epidemic has made the medical system overwhelmed
Xinhua News Agency reporter Hua Yi
If you walk into public places such as supermarkets, restaurants, and stadiums in Japan, in addition to wearing masks, it also reminds the public that the new crown epidemic has not passed, and everything seems to be calm. However, the epidemic figures paint a different picture: Japan has accumulated more than 6 million new confirmed cases of new crowns in the past month, and 9 of the 11 days up to the 18th, there were more than 200 new deaths in a single day.
The number of confirmed infections in Japan’s “seventh wave” since July remains high. According to the statistics of the Japan Broadcasting Association TV station, there were 255,534 new confirmed cases on the 18th. This is the second time that the number of newly confirmed cases in a single day in Japan has exceeded 250,000 since the epidemic began; the cumulative number of confirmed cases was 16,465,626. There were 287 new deaths that day, bringing the total number of deaths to 36,302.
Once infected, many local people will be isolated at home with mild symptoms. If the patient unfortunately has severe symptoms, hospitalization will be a big problem. According to statistics from the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan, as of the 10th, more than 1.54 million infected people in Japan have been quarantined at home, a number that has also hit a new high since the epidemic began in Japan.
Nippon Broadcasting Association TV quoted the statistics of the Japanese government as saying that as of the 15th, the utilization rate of new crown beds in Kanagawa Prefecture reached 91%, Okinawa Prefecture, Aichi Prefecture and Shiga Prefecture exceeded 80%, Fukuoka Prefecture, Nagasaki Prefecture, Shizuoka Prefecture, etc. more than 70%.
Among them, the Japan Broadcasting Association TV reported on the 16th that the utilization rate of new crown beds in the main island area of Okinawa Prefecture has been overloaded, and the beds other than the new crown are also very tight, and it is very difficult to be hospitalized for injuries or sudden illnesses.
The situation in Tokyo is also not optimistic. The Tokyo Metropolitan Government announced on the 16th that the occupancy rate of hospital beds is about 60%, which does not seem to be tense, but due to the fact that there are many infected or close contacts among local medical staff, the medical staff is insufficient. Masataka Inoguchi, vice-chairman of the Tokyo Metropolitan Medical Association, said on the 16th that the occupancy rate of hospital beds for new crown patients in Tokyo is “approaching the limit.”
In addition, 14 medical institutions in Kyoto Prefecture, including the Affiliated Hospital of the Faculty of Medicine of Kyoto University, issued a joint statement on the 15th saying that the epidemic has reached a very serious level… The new crown hospital beds in Kyoto Prefecture are essentially saturated and are now in a state of “could have been saved.” Life can’t be saved” medical collapse.
The statement called on the public to avoid non-urgent and unnecessary going out, and said that contracting the new coronavirus “is definitely not a simple cold-like disease”, calling on people to continue to be vigilant and take daily precautions.
Despite the severe epidemic and the high number of confirmed cases, the Japanese government has not adopted stricter epidemic prevention measures. The game scene in Japan is still full of people. Recently, during the Obon Festival, a traditional festival, the passenger flow is also very large. During the Obon Festival, the domestic airline occupancy rate has returned to about 80% of the pre-epidemic level, the Shinkansen is full, and the expressway is congested…
On the one hand, there are a large number of infected cases, the increasing number of deaths, and the screams of medical staff, and on the other hand, the streets seem to be back to normal. The current development of the epidemic in Japan has brought new challenges to the local government.