Rapid spread of corona infection Restrict visits again at facilities for the elderly in Tokyo

In response to the rapid spread of the new coronavirus infection, there are moves to strengthen infection control measures, such as restricting visits between residents and their families, which had been resumed at facilities for the elderly in Tokyo.

Of these, the special nursing home for the elderly in Edogawa Ward, Tokyo, has gradually resumed face-to-face visits since April as the number of infected people has decreased nationwide.

However, due to the rapid spread of the infection, from the end of June, we stopped face-to-face visits between residents and their families, and limited them to online visits only through the glass window.

On the 24th, two women in their 50s visited the facility to meet her 91-year-old father, first disinfected and measured the temperature at her entrance, and then told her that she had been vaccinated three times.

Then, in the garden of the facility, I met my father again through the window and talked to him in the building on his mobile phone and waved each other to check his recent physical condition and life for about 20 minutes.

After the visit, the woman said, "Since the number of infected people is increasing, I think it is unavoidable to have this type of visit. I want to meet in a direct contact with the infection as soon as possible."

At this facility, we take thorough measures such as inspecting all staff at least three times a week, but we are not worried whether we can prevent the infection.

Haruyo Wada, general manager of the special nursing home for the elderly, said, "We are working on each and every thing we can do to protect the facility. However, if the number of infected people increases, we must be careful about domestic infections of our staff. Is increasing day by day. I want the infection to subside as soon as possible. "

According to a summary by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, the number of clusters confirmed at welfare facilities for the elderly nationwide in the week up to 18th of this month has reached 296, which is about twice the number of the previous week.