A surging number of coronavirus cluster infections in Japan is raising fears that medical care system in affected communities will be overstretched.
The health ministry compiles weekly data on clusters based on media reports.
A group of cancer patients across Japan has asked the government to ensure that they can receive care amid concern that hospitals are under growing strain due to the surge in coronavirus cases.
The Japan Federation of Cancer Patient Groups wrote in a letter to the government that if the pandemic continues putting strains on the healthcare system, treatment for cancer patients may be canceled or suspended. This could result in a severe deterioration of patients' health.
People with intractable diseases in Japan want the government to ensure sufferers of all illnesses can receive care during the coronavirus pandemic, which is putting an increasing burden on the medical system.
The Japan Patients Association, which comprises 93 organizations of patients with intractable or chronic illnesses, submitted an urgent request earlier this week.
An expert panel advising Japan's health ministry has warned that if the coronavirus outbreak continues to spread, medical and public health systems could be dealt a serious blow.
The panel said on Tuesday that cases are surging mainly in Hokkaido and metropolitan areas in and around Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya.
A Japanese organization for protecting the rights of entertainers has asked the government to institute a mental health care system for people in the entertainment industry.
The Entertainers' Rights Association made the plea in a statement entitled "Suicides by Entertainers." It was posted on the group's website on Sunday.
Japan's welfare ministry has set up new sections to support the development and promotion of robots that can assist in nursing care.
The ministry this month opened six bases to support companies developing such robots, as well as 11 consultation centers for operators of nursing-care businesses across the country.
Tokyo Governor Koike Yuriko has called on the central government to help ensure that the capital can provide sufficient medical care for coronavirus patients.
Koike on Friday held talks separately with the minister in charge of the coronavirus response, Nishimura Yasutoshi, and with health minister Kato Katsunobu.
Mourners have offered prayers for the victims of the stabbing rampage four years ago at a care facility for people with intellectual disabilities near Tokyo.
On July 26, 2016, 19 residents between the ages of 19 and 70 were killed and 26 others were injured at the home in Sagamihara City, Kanagawa Prefecture.
An NHK poll shows that nearly 70 percent of people in Japan want the government to prioritize the fight against the coronavirus over the economy.
The telephone survey was conducted over the weekend. More than 1,200 people responded.
Torrential rain in western Japan has left dozens of hospitals and welfare facilities flooded, without power, or lacking water.
The health ministry says, as of 5:30 a.m. on Wednesday, at least 23 hospitals were affected by flooding, power outages, and disrupted water supplies in the southwestern prefectures of Kumamoto, Fukuoka and Kagoshima, as well as in the western prefecture of Shiga. Officials say water trucks have been sent to the areas. They also say patients are being moved to nearby facilities.
Torrential rains in Japan's southwestern region of Kyushu have left dozens of hospitals and other facilities inundated or without power or water.
Japan's health ministry says at least 22 hospitals in Kumamoto, Kagoshima and Fukuoka prefectures were flooded or had no electricity or water as of 6 a.m. on Tuesday.
The Nintendo Wii was released more than a decade ago, about 13 years to be exact. It is one of Nintendo’s most successful consoles to date (although the Switch seems to be catching up), and it seems that over in the Windsor Court care home located in Wetherby in the UK, the Wii is still finding a lot of use amongst its residents.
According to a report from the Harrogate Informer, they revealed how a Wii was donated to the care home thanks to the efforts of a domestic assistant at the home, Leown Botten. Botten then helped set the console up and even taught them how to play, and it appears to be quite a smashing success as the residents are now having a truckload of fun playing it.
Officials in Yamanashi Prefecture, near Tokyo, say a baby girl less than a year old has tested positive for the new coronavirus.
The baby, who was admitted to the University of Yamanashi Hospital on Tuesday, is currently in intensive care with symptoms of severe pneumonia.
A defendant sentenced to death for killing 19 people with intellectual disabilities at a care home near Tokyo has withdrawn an appeal to a higher court. The sentence is to be finalized after midnight on Monday.
The Yokohama District Court on March 16 handed down the ruling to 30-year-old Uematsu Satoshi for the murders in Sagamihara City four years ago. Uematsu worked at the facility before the murders.