A countdown clock showing 100 days to go before the Tokyo 2020 Olympics which have been postponed to 2021 due to the coronavirus disease pandemic (COVID-19) is reflected in a puddle in Tokyo, Japan, on April 14, 2021. REUTERS / Issei Kato
Japan will extend near-emergency measures to 10 regions on Friday as a fourth wave of COVID-19 cases spreads, questioning whether the Summer Olympics can be held in Tokyo.
Economy Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura told reporters that the government was considering adding Aichi, Kanagawa, Saitama and Chiba to six other prefectures that were already under orders, including the metropolises of Tokyo and Osaka. A final decision is expected on Friday afternoon.
Japan’s leading health experts have acknowledged that the COVID-19 pandemic has entered a fourth wave.
Daily cases in Osaka hit a record 1,208 on Thursday, sparked by a virulent British strain of the virus. The new infections rose to 729 in Tokyo, most since early February, when most of the nation was in a state of emergency.
A senior ruling party official said on Thursday that canceling this year’s Olympics remains an option if the coronavirus situation becomes too serious. Read more
A reduced torch relay is already up and running. Overseas fans have been banned from the Games and officials say it can also be kept out of domestic fans. Read more
The near-emergency state allows local governments to order bars and restaurants to shorten their hours and impose fines on those who fail to comply. During the pandemic period, a full state of emergency has been declared twice in Japan.
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