Japan To Deal With Covid Surge By Bolstering Medical Resources
The Japanese government plans to deal with the nation's rapid surge in coronavirus infections by beefing up medical resources rather than restricting people's activities.
Japan is facing a fresh wave of infections, with more than 196,000 new cases confirmed on Tuesday. Case counts reached record highs in 14 of the country's 47 prefectures.
Fever clinics are already overstretched, making it difficult for people with symptoms to consult doctors.
Still, Prime Minister Kishida Fumio has noted that the number of severe COVID cases and deaths remains low.
Kishida says he hopes to keep social and economic activities going by adopting focused measures to efficiently contain infections.
He referred to the government's recent decision to expand the target of the fourth coronavirus vaccine dose.
Health minister Goto Shigeyuki sought cooperation from prefectural governors during an online meeting on Tuesday.
He called for quick action to increase the number of hospital beds for coronavirus patients to 50,000 across Japan.
He also said the government plans to offer municipalities antigen test kits that can be handed out for free at pharmacies and fever clinics.