TV Asahi reported on Tuesday on an increasing number of cases in Japan where patients in ambulances have been rejected by hospitals because they might have COVID-19. The network said that according to an official of the Tokyo Fire Department, it took about 90 minutes to find a hospital that would accept a man in his 40s who had a fever in Tokyo on April 9. The man was reportedly rejected by 40 hospitals. The network also reported on a case where it took more than six hours to find a hospital for a patient in an ambulance at night. The network said hospitals have various reasons for rejecting such patients, such as not being able to conduct PCR testing, not having enough protective gear, and not being equipped to accept such patients. The network said the Tokyo government is reportedly aware of the situation and taking measures to resolve the issue, such as sharing with the fire department a list of hospitals that accept such patients.