更新日:2024年1月16日

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Message by Governor Kuroiwa(英語)

information on corona

Message by Governor Kuroiwa

The number of new cases of the novel coronavirus infection in Kanagawa Prefecture has exceeded 10,000 every day recently, following the scale of the seventh surge, which recorded about 20,000 cases a day.
Medical institutions are not facing difficulties yet in treating and hospitalizing critically ill patients transported in emergency, which we consider important in judging the level of infection situation.  However, there are many outpatients with low risks of becoming severely ill, too, placing increasing burden on hospitals.  We also need to be cautious about contracting influenza, which has entered the epidemic season.

We should note that during the year-end and New Year holidays, most of medical institutions are closed.  Currently, many people with light symptoms are visiting fever clinics though they have low risks of becoming seriously ill.  If this situation continues, it may cause shortage of medical resources leading to cases where patients in critical condition cannot receive treatments or be hospitalized.
Against this background, today, Kanagawa Prefectural Government decided to raise the level of infection situation to three, the phase when medical burden is on the rise, in order to avoid shortage of medical resources during the holiday season. 
I would like to strongly ask you to take the below two actions in particular.

First one is to practice basic anti-virus measures thoroughly that we have asked you to date.  We will have more occasions to go out or meet with others, such as returning to hometown or visiting a shrine for the coming year.  Please be sure to take thorough infection prevention measures to protect people with risks of developing severe symptoms, including the elderly, people with underlying illnesses and pregnant women.  Appropriate wearing of a mask according to the situation, such as a crowded place or having a conversation in close distance, or washing hands are very effective in preventing seasonal influenza, too. 
To prevent infections with the Omicron variant, which spreads via aerosol, “ventilation” is very effective.  Though we tend to keep rooms closed in wintertime, we should ventilate frequently by opening windows regularly while paying attention to the room temperature. 

Second is the action to prevent further burden on medical institutions. 
To save the people in danger of losing their lives, including non-COVID patients, it is necessary to focus the limited medical resources onto those with severe symptoms and high risks of developing serious symptoms.  Patients with low risks who only have mild symptoms, such as young people with no underlying diseases, are asked to conduct self-test and register at the positive patients’ registration desk, avoiding visiting a doctor just to obtain a certificate to submit to the employer or school.  Please use online medical examination system when feeling uneasy.  We ask for your cooperation to prevent further strain on medical institutions. 

We would like to promote both anti-virus measures and socio economic activities in the society with corona virus in cooperation with the prefectural citizens and medical institutions.   We will get through the year-end and New Year holidays when further burden on medical institutions are anticipated and the so-called eighth wave of increased infections.  Your understanding and cooperation in this regard would be appreciated. 


December 27, 2022
KUROIWA Yuji
Governor of Kanagawa Prefecture