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A system intended to reduce the administrative burden on medical institutions by limiting the reporting of coronavirus cases to the elderly and other patients at high risk of serious illness took effect nationwide Monday.
But according to a Yomiuri Shimbun survey, 11 prefectures will continue to collect relevant information and monitor the health of low-risk coronavirus patients who fall outside the scope of reporting under the simplified system, amid concerns about the risk of a sudden deterioration in the conditions of patients who are not subject to reports.
In the survey involving all 47 prefectures, nine said they had introduced the simplified reporting system before Monday, while Iwate, Saitama, Tokyo, Shiga, Nara, Wakayama, Tottori, Shimane, Tokushima, Saga and Oita said they would keep monitoring the conditions of low-risk patients on a daily basis.
About 100 officials were busy checking cases Monday at the Tokyo metropolitan government’s patient registration center, which is responsible for monitoring low-risk cases.
The metropolitan government is urging low-risk patients who test positive to register their details at the center so that people in need of help can receive support, such as food deliveries.
Nurses check the information that has been logged on the centralized COVID-19 patient database, HER-SYS, and if any problems are identified, the patient’s condition is checked.
