Photo/Illutration Prefectural governors on Aug. 23 attend an online task force meeting to respond to COVID-19. (Etsuko Akuzawa)

Only four of Japan’s 47 prefectures will take the central government’s option of easing infection count rules that currently oblige medical workers to report detailed information of every COVID-19 case, the Asahi Shimbun learned.

Miyagi, Ibaraki, Tottori and Saga prefectures later this week plan to limit the detailed reports to infected patients at a higher risk of becoming seriously ill, such as people 65 years old or older and those with pre-existing conditions.

They were the only prefectures that submitted applications for the simplified case counts by the Aug. 29 deadline, according to a survey conducted by The Asahi Shimbun.

The other prefectures will continue following the protocol of having medical institutions submit the names, contact numbers and other details of all patients diagnosed with COVID-19 to public health care centers.

The central government allowed the introduction of the new system to reduce the burden on medical workers who are already busy dealing with ongoing seventh wave of infections.

The government is considering unifying the simplified reporting rule across the country. Many prefectures might be waiting until then to shift to the new system.

However, some local governments say that with the pandemic still raging, having all available information regarding the novel coronavirus is crucial for protecting the public.

“We need the same method as we have now to analyze trends and take precise measures against the virus,” Saitama Governor Motohiro Ono said.

Moreover, many local governments have also raised concerns that a lack of information at local health centers about low-risk patients could lead to delays in treatment if their conditions suddenly worsen.

“It would be very serious if patients became severely ill in places that we don’t know about,” Wakayama Governor Yoshinobu Nisaka said.

Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike also cited that risk in her decision to maintain the current reporting system for all COVID-19 cases in the capital.

The four prefectures planning the switch share these concerns and have planned measures to mitigate the danger.

Ibaraki Governor Kazuhiko Oigawa said Aug. 26 that simplifying the case counts “can significantly reduce the burden on medical sites.”

The prefecture also said it will set up a COVID-19 telephone consultation center that will be open 24 hours a day.

Tottori Prefecture said it will establish a center to support patients who are recuperating at home.

“I would like to focus on saving lives rather than sparing the time and effort to make the statistics detailed enough for research purposes,” Tottori Governor Shinji Hirai said.

The reporting issue has created discord between governors and the central government.

Some local leaders have criticized the government for leaving the decision up to prefectural governments.

The health ministry apologized for not providing a thorough explanation about the suggested change.

But a ministry official said, “We took action because the National Governors’ Association (requested an end to tracking every case and) asked for an immediate response, but then they kicked the ladder out from under us.”

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