TOKYO: COVID-19 case reporting rules are set to be relaxed in four of the country’s 47 prefectures on Wednesday, requiring detailed reports only on cases involving people with higher risks of developing severe symptoms.

The four–Miyagi, Ibaraki, Tottori and Saga–submitted applications by Monday to shift from the current system requiring medical institutions to report detailed information on all positive cases.

The shift is “chiefly aimed at reducing burdens on medical institutions and focusing on the treatment of very ill patients,” Miyagi Governor Yoshihiro Murai told a press conference on the day.

“I think we can switch to the new system from Wednesday,” Murai said as his prefecture applied for the shift on Monday.

On Wednesday last week, Prime Minister KISHIDA Fumio said his government would allow prefectures to decide to adopt the narrower scope of detailed reporting on COVID-19 cases.

On Saturday, however, Kishida said his government was considering applying the narrower reporting scope across the country as early as mid-September, in the face of calls from local authorities for unified rules.

JIJI Press