Japan preparing to send military nurses to areas hit hard by virus

Japan is preparing to send nurses from the Self-Defense Forces to Osaka and Hokkaido to help treat a surge in coronavirus infections as soon as the two prefecture governments request it, chief government spokesman Katsunobu Kato said on Monday.

Kyodo News reported that Japan's northern Hokkaido prefecture was planning to ask the government to send Self-Defense Force nurses. The prefecture has seen infection clusters at two hospitals, Kyodo said.

In western Japan's Osaka, the local government said on Sunday that daily new cases had exceeded 300 for the sixth straight day, according to public broadcaster NHK.