Despit­e Japan’s high-tech image, many busine­sses and govern­ment office­s still rely on fax machin­esTOKYO: Japan’s health ministry will introduce a system for health centres to report new coronavirus cases online instead of by hand-written faxes, phone or email – drawing praise from some but scorn from others wondering what took it so long. The health ministry said on Thursday it would launch the online reporting system from May 10, with it going nationwide from May 17, to reduce the burden on health centres struggling with a growing coronavirus epidemic. Japan has had more than 14,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus infection and 455 deaths, according to public broadcaster NHK. A health ministry official said the new reporting system would benefit health centres and boost the efficiency of its data collection, including on new infections, hospitalisations and severe cases. “The IT environment for public health had taken a big step forward,” Taira said on Twitter.

Source: The Express Tribune May 01, 2020 07:30 UTC