Running out of beds and gear, Tokyo medical staff say Japan's 'state of emergency' already here

Men wearing protective face masks, following an outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), look at closed notice at the entrance of Eiju General Hospital where more than 100 people have been infected with the coronavirus, in Tokyo, Japan April 6, 2020. REUTERS/Issei Kato

TOKYO (Reuters) - As Japan faces a fresh wave of coronavirus infections and the government prepares for 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-storey building in central Tokyo, which has reported 140 cases of COVID-19 in the past two weeks. Of those, at least 44 are doctors, nurses and other medical staff.