According to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, the number of new domestic infections announced on the 19th increased by about 13% compared to last Saturday.

It surpassed the previous week in 40 prefectures.



With the spread of the new coronavirus, some medical institutions are moving to tighten restrictions on visits between inpatients and their families, which were once eased.

Restricting visits again Just relaxed on the 24th of last month

At the National Center for Global Health and Medicine Konodai Hospital in Ichikawa City, Chiba Prefecture, after the seventh wave subsided, visitation restrictions were eased from the 24th of last month, and family members of hospitalized patients can visit within a set number and time. I made it

However, as the infection began to spread again and the infection level set by Chiba Prefecture was raised, visits were restricted again from the 10th of this month.



In principle, it is not possible to meet with a doctor, except when a doctor explains the medical condition in the presence of a family member.



On the other hand, in consideration of inpatients who feel anxious and lonely, we allow patients and their families to meet face to face through the glass at the entrance of the ward if the patient and family strongly request.

Director Nobuyoshi Aoyagi said, ``Since most patients have weakened immune systems or have underlying diseases, the hospital believes that protecting these people from the coronavirus is the most important thing. I think that patients will be lonely if there are restrictions, but it is unavoidable from the viewpoint of not causing clusters."



After that, he said, "If there is hope, we will use several methods to make it possible to meet in a state close to a visitation, and we need to think about initiatives as a hospital for with-corona and post-corona." rice field.

Some elderly facilities seek to continue visitation

Some facilities for the elderly are trying to maintain visits between facility users and their families as much as possible by devising infection control measures.



At Todoroki Ichirinso, a special nursing home for the elderly in Chiba City, since the spread of the infection two years ago, normal visits have been possible for about a month, and other times face-to-face meetings are basically prohibited and online. I have dealt with it by making use of it.



However, in response to requests from users and families to meet face-to-face, from last month we have made it possible to meet in a new way that devised infection control measures.



The family sits on benches outside the facility, using the windows as a meeting place.



Then, the staff thought that by opening the window and placing a film between the two people and talking to the user inside, they would be able to get as close to the original visit as possible.

A woman in her 60s who came to see her 95-year-old mother disinfected and measured the temperature at the entrance, met her mother through the film, and said, "I brought you some sweets, so please eat them." I'm happy to see your face after a long time," he said.



At the facility, we will continue to meet as much as possible while thoroughly implementing infection control measures, such as limiting visits to no more than 2 people for 10 minutes.



The woman I met said, "She feels relieved when I actually meet her and talk to her. My mother is hard of hearing and has trouble seeing her eyes, so it's difficult for her to see her face and talk to her. I was talking.

Koichi Hirano, the director of the facility, said, "I think that visitation is important because if residents cannot see their families, it will have a big psychological impact. On the other hand, I am worried about the simultaneous epidemic of corona and influenza. Elderly people will be infected. It's easy to get serious, so I'd like to respond with a sense of urgency while doing trial and error."