Nearly 200 Covid Deaths Outside Hospital
About 200 people who contracted the coronavirus have died at home and places other than hospitals across Japan after their condition suddenly worsened.
The National Police Agency says at least 197 such deaths were confirmed from March last year through January.
The agency says it confirmed 75 such deaths over about three weeks from January 1 through January 20. That surpassed the 56 deaths confirmed in December.
The agency says that in many cases infection was only confirmed after carriers died. Patients typically could not be seen swiftly at medical institutions despite falling ill.
Some local governments have been taking steps to detect signs of possible deterioration in the condition of people self-quarantining.
They have been sending nurses to check on people at home or have set up telephone hotlines to doctors or nurses that are available around the clock.