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Hospital bed occupancy rate for COVID-19 patients in serious condition up in 17 prefectures

Nov 23 (Japan Times) - Health ministry data has shown the occupancy rate for hospital beds for seriously ill patients as of Wednesday last week rose in 17 of Japan’s 47 prefectures from a week before.

The rate was above 25% in Tokyo, Osaka and Okinawa prefectures, at 37% 28% and 26%, respectively, suggesting that the three prefectures had reached a Stage 3 situation, the second-worst level on the four-tier system to measure the seriousness of the virus’s spread.

The figure was up 6 percentage points for Tokyo from a week before, up 2 points for Osaka and unchanged for Okinawa.

The rate stood at 18% in Kanagawa Prefecture, 21% in Aichi Prefecture, 22% in Kyoto Prefecture and 15% in Hyogo Prefecture.

Hokkaido, where the supply-demand balance for medical services is believed to be severe, had a rate of 11%, up 5 points.

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