Toyota Motor Corporation has provided vehicles to Chiba Prefecture for the transport of patients infected with the novel coronavirus, specifically those with mild symptoms.

The vehicles for transporting patients with mild COVID-19 symptoms were developed and outfitted at Toyota Motor Corporation's Higashi-Fuji Technical Center in Susono City, Shizuoka Prefecture, based on the "JPN TAXI (Japan Taxi)" model, in response to a request for cooperation from Chiba Prefecture.

Initiatives are underway across various regions to secure hospital beds and prevent the collapse of the medical system by transporting patients with mild symptoms to medical facilities. Toyota has been considering vehicles that can safely transport mildly ill patients while preventing infection among drivers, based on feedback from the medical front lines.

The vehicles provided feature a partition installed between the front cabin, including the driver and front passenger seats, and the rear cabin space. By maintaining positive pressure in the front and negative pressure in the rear, the vehicle is designed to control airflow, preventing air from the rear from circulating to the front, thus becoming a "Droplet Circulation Suppression Vehicle."

Toyota has already supplied five similar vehicles, modified with these measures, to hospitals in Tokyo. Guided by the principle of "immediately deciding, immediately resolving, and immediately executing what we can do, while staying close to the feelings of those fighting on the front lines and those suffering, prioritizing safety and security," the Toyota Group companies are swiftly considering and implementing various measures to address the pressing social issue of curbing the spread of infection and supporting medical facilities.