Japan to add Tokyo, other areas to COVID-19 ‘quasi-emergency’ state
On Monday, Japan placed the western prefectures of Osaka and Hyogo, along with Miyagi in the northeast, under targeted lockdown measures.
Spectators wearing face masks and ninja outfits, cheer a torchbearer carrying the Olympic torch in Iga, Mie prefecture, central Japan, Thursday, April 8, 2021. Tokyo, the capital of Japan, has asked the central government for permission to implement emergency measures to curb a surge in a rapidly spreading and more contagious coronavirus variant, just over three months before the start of the Olympics. (Kyodo News via AP) Japan aims to place Tokyo under a new, month-long “quasi-emergency” state to combat surging COVID-19 case numbers, a minister said on Friday, less than a month after the capital and host of the Summer Olympics lifted a broader state of emergency.
In a meeting with experts, Economy Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura proposed a month of targeted restrictions in Tokyo, like reduced business hours for bars and restaurants, along with 24 days of curbs for Kyoto and Okinawa, starting on April 12.
That would take the period of restrictions through Japan’s annual “Golden Week” holiday season from April 29 to May 5.
Japan has so far seen far fewer COVID-19 than many Western nations – about 490,000 cases and 9,300 deaths to date, according to the health ministry – but concerns about a new wave of infections are rising fast, particularly with the summer hosting of the Olympic Games coming up fast.
Share
