Fax-loving Japan to introduce online system for reporting coronavirus

[May 01, 2020]  TOKYO (Reuters) - 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.

A staff member of Tokyo Metropolitan Government Office shows a smartphone app used to check patients a during a press preview of a hotel of APA Group that has been designated to accommodate asymptomatic people and those with light symptoms of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) to free up hospital beds and alleviate work by nurses and staff members, in Tokyo, Japan May 1, 2020. REUTERS/Issei Kato

Despite Japan's high-tech image, many businesses and government offices still rely on fax machines, generating documents on which officials can stamp their approval with traditional "hanko" seals, and leaving a paper trail.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who has been promoting working from home to help slow the spread of the coronavirus, has told cabinet ministers to overhaul regulations and identify burdensome procedures with a view to scrapping or simplifying them.

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.

Abe is expected to extend for about one month a state of emergency, originally set to end on May 6, to fight the outbreak.

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.

Ruling Liberal Democratic Party lawmaker Masaaki Taira applauded the ministry's decision.

"The IT environment for public health had taken a big step forward," Taira said on Twitter.

Others were less impressed.

"Sorry, but I can't say 'well done'. What were you doing until now?" said Twitter user mamazon.

"There seem to be lots of other handwritten faxes. I'm waiting until they are all abolished."

(Reporting by Linda Sieg and Eimi Yamamitsu)

[© 2020 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved.]

Copyright 2020 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.  Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content.