Sdf Nurses Helping Islanders With Covid - 19
Japan's Ground Self-Defense Forces have begun providing medical support for people in an Okinawa island city infected with the coronavirus.
Miyakojima City, with a population of about 55,000, reported more than 110 cases during the five-day period through Saturday. With the city's health care system under pressure, Okinawa Prefecture requested the deployment of GSDF nurses to the city.
Five nurses arrived at a nursing care facility in the city on Sunday. A total of 40 people at the facility, including 27 residents, had been confirmed infected with the virus by Saturday. Most of them are recuperating at the facility .
All of the nurses tested negative for the virus before they were sent in. They will help infected people with medication, bathing, meals, and monitoring their health.
One of the nurses, Yoshida Mai, was involved in the response to a coronavirus outbreak on the Diamond Princess cruise ship last year. She said the team will do all it can to support infected people and the facility staff, while ensuring that no one on the team gets infected.