As Japan faces a fresh wave of coronavirus infections and the government readies itself to declare a state of emergency, medical staff say a shortage of beds and a rise in cases linked to hospitals are pushing Tokyo's medical system to the brink of collapse.
The crisis has already arrived at Eiju General Hospital, a pink, 10-story building in central Tokyo that has reported 140 cases of COVID-19 in the past two weeks. Of those, at least 44 are doctors, nurses and other medical staff.
On a recent weekday, the glass doors of Eiju General were plastered with posters saying the hospital was closed until further notice.