TOKYO: Japan will consider issuing a new emergency declaration after governors within the capital area urged action to sort out a record surge in COVID-19 cases, the top of the nation’s pandemic response mentioned on Saturday (Jan 2).
The government must consult with health experts earlier than deciding on a new declaration, Economy Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura informed reporters after a meeting with Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike and leaders from three neighboring prefectures.
“The national government and the three governors shared the view that the situation within the Tokyo area is getting more severe such that an emergency declaration could also be essential,” Nishimura mentioned.
As an interim measure, restaurants and karaoke parlors within the Tokyo area could be requested to shut at 8 pm, whereas businesses that serve alcohol should shut at 7 pm, he mentioned.
Japanese officers have in recent weeks requested restaurants and companies to shut early and urged individuals to remain at the house, measures that Koike mentioned were having “some impact”.
“However considering the number of cases and the situation of the medical system in Tokyo and the three neighboring prefectures, we decided it was essential to instantly and totally curb the movement of individuals,” she informed reporters.
Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga has resisted calls to reinstate a nationwide state of emergency, which the government had introduced in April during an earlier wave of the pandemic. Suga is next scheduled to speak publicly on Jan 4.
It relied on voluntary business closures and journey restrictions rather than the sort of rigid lockdown measures seen in parts of Europe and the USA.
Tokyo raised its COVID-19 alert level to its highest measure on Dec 17. New infections within the capital hit a record 1,337 on Dec 31, and on Saturday numbered 814. A nationwide record was also set on Dec 31 with 4,520 new cases.
The rise in COVID-19 cases is compounding a seasonal increase in hospitalizations, mentioned Fumie Sakamoto, an infection control manager at St Luke’s International Hospital in Tokyo.
“The Japanese government has not done an incredible deal to control the infection,” Sakamoto mentioned. “I might expect the (an infection) numbers will get bigger within the coming days, and the emergency declaration should have come earlier, probably throughout December or November.”
SIX MONTHS UNTIL OLYMPICS
There was no immediate word on whether or not the governors would seek school closures. Japan was one of the first countries in the world to shutter colleges, with then prime minister Shinzo Abe calling for closures in February.
Japan has had a milder pandemic than many other countries, with about 3,500 deaths since its first case in January.
Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, who took office this autumn after Abe resigned, has been criticized for his government’s response to the new wave of infections, and in particular its support of a controversial program promoting domestic travel.
The program has been suspended over the new yr – when much Japanese travel to go to the family – and government officials have urged individuals to remain house to assist suppress the new wave.
The new spike in infections comes a little more than six months before Tokyo is ready to host the virus-delayed Olympic Games.
Tokyo 2020 was postponed last spring as the size of the pandemic became clear, however, despite optimism from officials and organizers, a lot of the Japanese public is opposed to holding the Games this summer, favoring a further delay or outright cancellation.
