The spread of the new coronavirus is threatening the supply of blood for transfusions in the Tokyo Metropolitan area.
The Japanese Red Cross Society's regional blood center says donations have fallen below monthly targets since April, when a state of emergency was declared that caused people to work or study at home.
Japan's medical systems are increasingly under strain as the number of cases of coronavirus continues to rise.
On Tuesday, Hokkaido, Tokyo, Osaka and two other prefectures were at Stage 4, the worst of the four-level alert scale, in terms of hospital bed availability. The scale was set by a government advisory panel to assess the severity of an outbreak.
LONDON — Japanese carmaker Honda hopes to restart production at its British factory on Monday after halting output because of transport-related delays that caused a shortage of parts.
Britain's major container ports, such as Felixstowe, have been hit by the Covid-19 pandemic, which has disrupted global trade, leaving containers in the wrong place and goods stacked up.
Honda has stopped production at its factory in Swindon, England, as congestion at ports has delayed delivery of vital components. The Japanese carmaker will attempt to restart output as soon as it is able to.
A nationwide survey shows that hospitals and clinics in Japan are experiencing shortages of disposable medical gloves.
In the spring, amid the initial spread of coronavirus infections, nurses and other healthcare professionals faced severe shortages of personal protective equipment.
The Japanese Nursing Association says about 1,000 retired nurses have returned to work to fill a manpower shortage caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
Since April, the association has been asking about 50,000 retired registered nurses, practical nurses and health care workers to return to work.
Japan's ban on the price-gouging resale of face masks came into effect at midnight on Saturday. But manufacturers expect the shortage to continue for some time.
The ban is aimed at preventing the hoarding of masks for resale at inflated prices. The activity is thought to have contributed to mask shortages.
Honda will cut back production at two of its Japanese factories due to parts shortages from China because of the coronavirus outbreak.