更新日:2023年8月22日

Main content starts here.

Message by Governor Kuroiwa(英語)

information on corona

Message by Governor Kuroiwa 

One week has passed since the state of emergency declaration was issued for Kanagawa Prefecture.  However, the number of new daily cases exceeded 2,000 and we are seeing continued explosive surge in infections that we have never experienced.

We are rapidly becoming short of hospital beds that can accept COVID-19 patients, and it is getting extremely difficult to find medical institutions to transport patients to.  There are increasing cases where ambulances have to wait for hours being unable to find an available hospital.

Kanagawa Prefectural Government (K.P.G.) made a request to medical institutions to maximize the number of beds for COVID-19 patients, and postpone hospitalizations or operations of other patients if considered as not urgent by a doctor to strengthen response to COVID-19 cases.

K.P.G. has made the utmost efforts to protect the medical care system.  However, due to this rapid surge, the so-called “collapse of the medical care system” has begun, where we cannot provide necessary medical treatments and save lives that could have been saved.

The current explosion of infections is considered to have been caused by an increase in people’s movements and accelerated by highly contagious Delta variant.

Delta variant is totally different from the novel coronavirus dominant in the past.  Its viral load is said to be 1,200 times higher.  It is twice as transmissible as the original strain and three times as influenza.  There is a possibility to be infected at anytime and anywhere if you have a contact with other people.

In short, “Crowd has a high risk.” 

To the citizens, please refrain from going out to crowded places for leisure or shopping for now.  K.P.G. has requested to close all the bathing beaches in the prefecture to reduce a large turnout of people, gaining understanding of the local municipalities and related organizations.  

To the business operators, it is time to implement teleworking as much as possible and decrease the number of employees who have to commute in a crowd. 

To prevent collapse of the medical care system and put an end to the state of emergency declaration, we need to contain new infection cases.  It is necessary for each one of us to reduce contact opportunities as much as possible and continue the infection prevention measures.  Current pandemic situation can even be called a catastrophe.  We ask for your understanding and cooperation to contain this explosive surge. 

 

August 9, 2021
KUROIWA Yuji
Governor of Kanagawa Prefecture