In response to the spread of the new corona infection, Fukuoka Prefecture has revised its measures so that doctors can diagnose an infected person even if the infected person’s family members or other close contacts who live together with the infected person have symptoms such as fever and do not need to undergo tests. According to Fukuoka Prefecture, due to the spread of the new corona infection, the number of people undergoing tests at medical institutions has increased, and outpatient clinics have become overwhelmed in some areas.
For this reason, in line with the national policy, the prefecture has reviewed its outpatient care system so that doctors can diagnose an infected person even if the infected person’s family members or other close contacts who live together with the infected person show symptoms such as fever, without having to undergo tests.
As of yesterday, the government notified the public health centers and medical institutions under the jurisdiction of the prefecture. The notice asks that even if the doctor deems that the patient is infected, they should be treated the same way as a person who has undergone an examination in terms of medical expenses. On the other hand, when administering medicines such as the new coronary drugs, the doctors must conduct tests and make a definitive diagnosis before administering them.
Since the region’s occupancy rate of allocated hospital beds surpassed 50%, the prefectural governor, Seitaro Hattori, is not yet considering declaring another state of emergency. He pointed out the number of patients under critical care was as few as six as of the morning of Feb. 2, and the ongoing ‘mann-enn boushi to juten sochi’ program had effectively reduced the frequency of people’s outings thanks to the cooperation of 97% of local eateries. Source: NHK / Asahi / Nikkei
Photo by Fukuoka Now
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