An empty street is displayed near the normally crowded Kiyomizu Temple in Kyoto, a popular tourist attraction, amid the outbreak of coronavirus (COVID-19) in Japan on July 21, 2020. REUTERS / Leika Kihara
The Japanese government is considering a state of emergency for Tokyo and Osaka as new COVID-19 cases increase, NHK reported on Wednesday, a move that would allow prefectural authorities to impose sidewalks to try stop the spread of infections.
With thousands of new cases stemming from highly infectious strains of the virus, the government is expected to declare a state of emergency this week for the capital and Osaka prefecture, as well as neighboring Hyogo prefecture, they reported. various national media.
So far, Japan has avoided the kind of explosive spread of the pandemic that has plagued many Western countries, with a total of up to approximately 540,000 cases and a death toll of 9,707. But the latest surge in infections has sparked alarm, which comes just three months before the scheduled start of the Tokyo Olympics and amid a slow deployment of vaccination.
Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike is preparing to call for an emergency period from April 29 to May 9, covering the annual holiday period of Japan’s “Golden Week,” according to the Mainichi diaries.
Osaka, the epicenter of a fourth wave of the pandemic, on Tuesday called for a renewed state of emergency, seeking to cancel or postpone all major events to restrict the movement of people. Quasi-emergency measures have already been imposed on 10 of Japan’s 47 prefectures, including the Tokyo and Osaka areas. Read more
The government of Kyoto prefecture in western Japan is also preparing to request an emergency declaration, Jiji news service reported. If enacted in all four regions, the emergency measures would cover about a quarter of Japan’s 126 million population.
The new statements will mark the third complete state of emergency in Japan since the epidemic began. The total economic loss from a renewed emergency in the three regions would be 1.156 trillion yen ($ 10.771 billion), the Nomura Research Institute said in a report.
Concerns about expanded closing measures and the slow pace of vaccinations spread to investors, with Japanese stocks trading sharply lower and a Nikkei benchmark losing 1.7%.
“Global investors find few reasons to buy Japanese stocks because Japan lags behind other countries in terms of getting the virus,” said Hideyuki Ishiguro, chief strategist at Daiwa Securities.
On Wednesday, Japan’s top government spokesman Katsunobu Kato reiterated the government’s stance that it would consider “quickly” any request for a declaration of a state of emergency, without detailing a deadline.
Meanwhile, Pfizer Inc. (PFE.N) will sign a contract this month to supply an additional 50 million doses of vaccine to Japan by September, the Nikkei newspaper reported. Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga was in talks with Pfizer CEO last Saturday to secure more doses of vaccine during a visit to the United States. Read more
Together with existing contracts with Pfizer and Moderna Inc. (MRNA.O), whose COVID-19 vaccine is being reviewed by national regulators, this would be sufficient for the entire adult population of Japan.
Government spokesman Kato declined to comment on the amount of additional doses of Pfizer. The company did not immediately respond to a request from Reuters.
($ 1 = 107,9500 yen)
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