Japan's hotels in a bind as mild and asymptomatic coronavirus patients opt to heal at home instead

May 10, 2020 | News On Japan

May 10, 2020 (Japan Times) - Far more mildly ill or asymptomatic COVID-19 patients in Japan are opting to self-isolate at home than hole up in hotels, leaving accommodations catering to them with abysmal occupancy rates, recent figures show.

Health ministry statistics as of April 28 showed that of the 8,711 official COVID-19 patients nationwide, only 862 were recovering at hotels catering to the mildly ill.

A separate survey released by the ministry around the same time, meanwhile, found that 12,090 hotel rooms were available for patients nationwide, indicating a measly occupancy rate of 7 percent. The number of patients at hotels, in fact, pales in comparison to the number recovering at home, who totaled 1,984, the figures showed.

Tokyo, for example, has more patients at home, 635, than any other prefecture, versus just 198 staying in hotels.

Both the ministry and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government stand by the position that mildly ill patients be sent to hotels rather than recover at home in order to avoid spreading the disease to family members. Staffed by doctors and nurses who provide daily checkups, the hotels are deemed instrumental in preventing those who live alone from going unnoticed if they become critically ill.

The central governmentâ€™s original policy was to hospitalize all COVID-19 patients, but as it became clear the nationâ€™s medical system was being overwhelmed, it changed tack to steer the mild patients toward hotels and homes. But as reports emerged of patients either infecting family members or seeing their health deteriorate, the ministry adjusted its policy further to prioritize hotel stays.

Officials attribute patientsâ€™ choice of homes over hotels to factors including the need to look after ailing parents, children and pets. Since patients arenâ€™t responsible for the costs of hotel stays, money is not likely an issue, they say.

In Tokyo, public health centers have been instructed to persuade those with mild symptoms to opt for hotels, â€œbut since their recommendation is not legally binding, there is nothing they can do when the patients refuse to comply,â€ a metropolitan official said.

Typhoons No. 28 and 29 Bring High Waves to Japan's Pacific Coast

Two typhoons moving across the Pacific southeast of Japan are expected to remain well away from the Japanese mainland, but powerful swells could bring rough seas to a wide stretch of the country's Pacific coastline throughout the three-day holiday weekend, according to forecasts updated at 3 a.m. on October 10.

Cyberattacks Spread Across Japan

A series of cyberattacks has disrupted business operations and exposed millions of customer records across Japan, with a ransomware attack on a cloud service provider affecting 495 companies and local governments nationwide, while convenience store operator Lawson has disclosed a separate breach involving more than 2.15 million personal information records.

Japan's First 360-Degree Projection Mapping Opens in Osaka

Japan's first 360-degree projection mapping show will open at the Osaka City Museum of Fine Arts on October 10, transforming the historic building into an immersive world of light, music, and seasonal imagery, with organizers hoping the attraction will also help stimulate the city's nighttime economy.

Tokyo University Professor Wins Nobel Prize in Chemistry

Tokyo University of Science professor emeritus Kenzo Soai has been awarded this year's Nobel Prize in Chemistry together with French chemist Henri B. Kagan for discoveries that transformed scientists' understanding of how chemical reactions can favor one of two mirror-image forms of a molecule.

US Military Halts All Okinawa Operations for 48 Hours

The US military suspended activities by all forces stationed in Okinawa for 48 hours from noon on October 7, an unusual measure following the arrest of a US Marine in connection with a robbery and murder case that has renewed scrutiny of crimes involving American service members.

MEDIA CHANNELS

MORE Society NEWS

Most Sightings of Fugitive Yoichi Hatta Reported in Kanto

Police in Oita Prefecture have revealed that the Kanto region accounts for the largest number of reported sightings of Yoichi Hatta, a fugitive wanted in connection with a fatal hit-and-run incident in Beppu in 2022, with authorities preparing to distribute new wanted posters nationwide from November as the search enters its fifth year.