Society

Suga discloses plan to set up 'oxygen stations'

Aug 14 (NHK) - Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide has announced a plan to set up "oxygen stations" to provide coronavirus patients with supplemental oxygen amid a rapid surge of serious cases.

Speaking to reporters on Friday evening, Suga noted that record numbers of new cases have been confirmed in many prefectures.

Suga said the government will work with local authorities to make sure that patients recuperating at home can contact healthcare workers whenever they need to.

He said he instructed relevant ministers to quickly build a network of "oxygen stations" where such patients will be able to get supplemental oxygen.

The prime minister also announced a plan to set up facilities where patients can receive the therapy called "antibody cocktail treatment" that was recently authorized by the government.

The treatment involves giving patients two drugs simultaneously through intravenous drips to suppress the functions of the virus.

Emphasizing the importance of vaccinations, Suga said his government will do all it can to speed up the vaccine rollout while trying to reduce people's movements.

He stressed that the government is aiming to have 80 percent of the Japanese population fully vaccinated by early October.

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