Jun 03 (NHK) - Hospitals in Japan's southern prefecture of Okinawa are moving to limit the number of patients they see or admit as the rapid spread of the coronavirus has caused a shortage of hospital beds.
In Okinawa, hospital beds for coronavirus carriers were 97.9 percent full as of Tuesday. Beds for other patients were 93.5 percent occupied.
Nanbu Medical Center & Children's Medical Center in Haebaru Town has declared itself in a state of emergency, and announced it will impose daily caps on outpatients and inpatients through June 20.
The center says hospitalization could be delayed depending on bed availability, and that patients in need of urgent care will be given priority.
Okinawa Chubu Hospital in Uruma City is limiting outpatients and hospitalizations through next Friday.
Yaeyama Hospital in Ishigaki City has canceled afternoon examinations for outpatients, while Okinawa Miyako Hospital in Miyakojima City has postponed non-urgent operations and tests.
