2022 Volume 32 Issue 1 Pages 9-20
Measures against COVID-19 infection taken by Saitama prefecture, which has relatively limited medical resources, require strategy and tactics. The measures that should be taken, include not only medical treatments or health systems but also relations with the central and local governments, balance with social and economic activities, public relations effort and realities incompatible with laws and regulations.
After knowledge on the COVID-19 is gradually accumulated, the prefecture formulated a strategy to prioritize measures on vulnerable groups such as elderlies in nursing homes and to put importance to control burden on hospitals in spite of number of corona virus cases.
It has been always an issue to strike a balance between economic activities and infection control. Therefore, the prefecture formed a task force with governmental organizations, economic organizations, academics, financial sectors and labor union, to make proposals on how economic/social activities shall be carried out even under COVID-19 infection.
The prefecture promoted vaccinations and antibody cocktail treatments campaign while it prepared coming new variants and wide spread of the infection. These were often collaborated with governors in metropolitan area.
Although there are still spheres to improve, Saitama prefecture collaborated with municipalities in it. In addition to allocation of enough resources by the central government, it is long waited to amend laws to urge nursing in the allocated hotels and enable to dedicate governmental/official hospital exclusively for COVID-19 patients.
