New virus test: The number of cases varies depending on the region.
Given that the status of testing for new coronaviruses varies widely by region, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare has been working to ensure that laboratories around the country are available and have other prefectures perform the tests instead. We have begun to make adjustments to proceed with the inspection.
NHK conducted a study on the number of tests performed by prefecture for the 10 days until February 26, and found that in Kanagawa, Tokyo, and Wakayama, more than 600 tests were performed, while in areas where there were no infected people, only a few were tested. It turned out that there was a large gap depending on the region, such as staying.
In response, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare informed the prefectures nationwide on April 4 that they should report the availability of local laboratories.
In the event that local laboratories alone cannot handle the situation, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare will notify you of the availability of other nearby prefectures, etc. It is an adjustment to advance the inspection.
The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare says, "It is anticipated that the number of infected people will increase in the future, and that testing will be imminent. We would like to improve the system so that necessary people can be tested."