Emergency conference asks visitors to refrain from visiting Yambaru, warns of collapse of healthcare system in Okinawa’s northern region
(from the right) Northern Region Medical Association co-chairmen Tetsuya Miyazato and Hiroshi Uechi, Northern Municipalities Council chairman Atsushi Toma, and council representative Taketoyo Toguchi calling for everyone to get vaccinated from COVID-19 at an emergency conference.
July 30, 2021 Ryukyu Shimpo
Hokubu – With the rapid spread of COVID-19, the Northern Municipalities Council and the Northern Region Medical Association stated July 29 that since the middle of July hospital beds are almost entirely full with coronavirus patients, and that, “the healthcare system is in danger of collapsing,” calling for everyone to wear masks and get vaccinated. An emergency conference was held at the Hokubu Kaikan in Nago, where the Northern Municipalities Council chairman Atsushi Toma (mayor of Ginoza) noted that a lot of tourists are anticipated to visit the Natural Cultural Heritage site, and asked visitors to “please refrain from coming now.”
As of July 28, 27 of the 30 hospital beds at the Okinawa Prefecture North Area Hospital were occupied with COVID-19 patients, and 17 of the 20 beds at the North District Medical Association Hospital are similarly occupied. Most of the 30 rooms at the minor illness recuperation hotels in Nago are filled as well. Vaccination rates for those under 64 years of age is low, while transmission rates for people under 50 years of age is growing rapidly.
The Northern Region Medical Association co-chairman Hiroshi Uechi indicated, “the disease spreads when masks are not worn at restaurants and places where people are celebrating, then it is brought back home or to the workplace. It is carelessness.”
(English translation by T&CT and Sam Grieb)
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