A medical center in Osaka Prefecture dedicated to treating seriously-ill COVID-19 cases began receiving patients on Tuesday.
The facility in Sumiyoshi Ward, Osaka City opened with limited capacity as it has been struggling to hire enough nurses.
The number of seriously ill patients with COVID-19 across Japan hit 472 on Monday. That's a new record high, and the health minister says it's another sign the situation is growing more serious.
Health Minister Tamura Norihisa said, "The number of people in serious condition tends to lag behind new cases. So the fact that serious ones have increased to nearly 500 means we're facing a sense of crisis."
Japan's health minister Tamura Norihisa says he has a sense of crisis over a record number of seriously-ill coronavirus patients across the country.
The number of patients being treated at intensive care units or with ventilators hit 472 on Monday, the highest ever.
Medical experts have warned that the number of serious coronavirus cases is expected to rise further, likely overstretching Tokyo's general medical care system.
The experts said treating COVID-19 patients in serious condition while providing normal medical care would become "extremely difficult."
Health officials in Japan are dealing with an increase in coronavirus infections. They're calling for vigilance as the number of seriously ill patients is on the rise.
Tokyo has the most new cases among Japan's 47 prefectures with 207 infections confirmed on Tuesday. In addition, 31 patients are now listed in serious condition. It's the first time the figure has topped 30 since May.
Tokyo's governor says the city remains at a critical phase in its battle to prevent an explosive rise in coronavirus infections, and that the situation is getting more serious.
Koike Yuriko gave the assessment at a news conference on Friday. She said people should avoid closed, crowded places and close-contact settings.
A man in his 70s has been confirmed to be infected with the new coronavirus in Wakayama Prefecture, western Japan. He was temporarily admitted to the same hospital where a surgeon tested positive for the virus on Thursday.
Prefectural officials say in-house infection is unlikely.
Japan's health ministry says eight of the people confirmed infected with the new coronavirus onboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship are in serious condition. The ship is quarantined at Yokohama Port, near Tokyo.
The ministry says two other people are also in serious condition. One of them has not been confirmed to be infected, while the other is waiting for the result of a virus test.