COVID-19: Japan to seek 'short, powerful' state of emergency for Tokyo, elsewhere
23 April, 2021
The Japanese government is seeking a "short and powerful" state of emergency for Tokyo, Osaka and two other prefectures, a Cabinet minister said on Friday (Apr 23), as Japan struggles to contain a resurgent pandemic just three months ahead of the Olympics.
Under a fresh state of emergency for Apr 25 to May 11, the federal government would ask restaurants, bars, and karaoke parlours serving alcohol to close, and big sports to be held without spectators, said Economy Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura.
"We absolutely need to limit the movement of people, and we must do it decisively," said Nishimura, speaking at the start of a gathering with a panel of authorities to go over the proposed measures.
"We are in need of powerful, short and focused measures," he said, asking persons to "remember last spring and stay home".
Department stores and other retailers bigger than 1,000 sqm would also be asked to close and companies to create greater allowances for folks to work-from-home.
The state of emergency, which would also include Kyoto and Hyogo and last through Japan's "Golden Week" holidays, are expected to be formally approved down the road Friday. The four prefectures take into account nearly 25 % of Japan's population.
Japan has up to now avoided an explosive spread of the pandemic which has plagued many countries. There were a total around 550,000 cases and 9,761 deaths.
However the latest rise in infections has stoked alarm with an explosive surge in the mutant variant and a crucial shortage of hospital beds in some regions, while Japan's vaccination drive remains sluggish.
Tokyo reported 861 new cases on Thursday, the most since Jan 29, that was through the third wave of the pandemic and a previous state of emergency. Osaka prefecture reported 1,167, down slightly from a record.
Several other prefectures stay in a "quasi-emergency" state of targeted infection controls, and Nishimura said the duration would also be extended to May 11 for some.
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