The tourism ministry has decided to set up live cameras at various ports to strengthen its ability to collect information on emergencies, including the outbreak of infectious diseases.
These measures are based on lessons learned from the Diamond Princess cruise ship, which docked at Yokohama Port and on which many people were infected with the new coronavirus. By the end of the current fiscal year, the Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Ministry aims to install live cameras at Yokohama Port and Kobe Port, where many cruise ships arrive and depart.
The ministry was in charge of collecting information on such points as the provision of food and medical supplies and the transportation of passengers to hospitals in the Diamond Princess case. On a busy day, about 10 staff members had to be at the port, taking photos whenever the situation changed and emailing their main headquarters in Tokyo.
However, there were time delays in the sharing of information, and the risk of infection among ministry employees emerged as a new issue. Therefore, the ministry decided to install live cameras to monitor the situation from a remote location.
It plans to set up four cameras at Yokohama Port and one at Kobe Port. About 140 million yen will be earmarked in the supplementary budget for the current fiscal year, and other ports will also be considered.
The live cameras are also expected to be used in the event of a maritime accident or disaster.
Read more from The Japan News at https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/
