The seventh wave of the coronavirus pandemic is straining emergency medical services across the country.
In Tokyo, a number of critical-care patients, including those who have had a stroke, have also tested positive for the coronavirus, fully occupying hospital beds for seriously ill COVID-19 patients at some hospitals.
The number of "difficult cases" in which paramedics have had trouble finding hospitals for emergency patients reached a record 6,307 nationwide for the week July 25-31, up 5% from the previous week, the Fire and Disaster Management Agency announced Tuesday.
