On April 16, governors in Kyushu shared their comments following the national government’s announcement of the nationwide expansion of the state of emergency. Saga Governor Yoshinori Yamaguchi expressed willingness to follow the nation’s decision by requesting temporary closure and shortened operational hours for local businesses, while Kumamoto Governor Ikuo Kabashima expressed concern for potential financial damage caused by such a sudden move and insisted the national government be responsible for securing financial backup. Kyushu saw 31 more confirmed COVID-19 infections (Fukuoka: +26, Nagasaki: +1 and Oita: +4,) bringing the regional total to 600. According to a survey by the Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare, some medical institutions in Fukuoka Prefecture are limiting services to patients without corona-suspected symptoms. Amongst 321 facilities responded to the survey, 18.4% reported some constrained operations due to increased demand. The prefectural medical association admitted some medical workers in the region work every day or sleep overnight at their offices to deal with the situation. To avoid potential shortage of medical equipment and medical workforce, the association strongly requests people with corona-suspected symptoms including fever to call BEFORE visiting such institutions, even in the areas where the number of confirmed infections is low. The cumulative total of the new coronavirus infections in Fukuoka Prefecture as of April 16 is 462. Sources: Nikkei, NHK, NHK, Fukuoka Prefecture
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