TOKYO (AP) – Japan began its first day with a state of emergency by coronavirus on Friday, with much of the usual life, including morning commuter trains carrying crowds of people wearing masks to the boiling stations .
Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga reiterated his call for restaurants to shorten business hours and for people to work from home.
“We take it very seriously. Of course, I would like to overcome this difficult situation with the cooperation of the people, “Suga told reporters.
The emergency lasts until February 7. The statement calls on restaurants and bars to close at 8 p.m., while drinks will not be served after 7 p.m.
It applies to Tokyo and the three surrounding prefectures of Saitama, Chiba and Kanagawa.
Across the country, confirmed cases of COVID-19 have reached 260,000, with more than 7,500 new cases on Friday.
“The infection is the highest of all regions in the country,” Suga said.
Suga has promised legal reviews, including sanctions and other measures to add more force to the applications. They will be studied in parliament later this month.
The statement is expected to influence conformist Japan. Some companies have resisted working remotely and the state of emergency can help workers assert their desires to stay home.
But much of life will remain the same, with schools, sporting events, shops and cinemas open, but with measures of social distancing and protection from masks. Crowds are expected to thin out at night.
The previous emergency, declared last April and May, although broader in scope and scope, had some effect on reducing the spread of COVID-19.
The number of daily cases in Tokyo has been rising, reaching a daily record of 2,447 on Thursday. The goal is to reduce them to 500, according to officials.
Like many other Tokyo residents, Kazue Kuramitsu was already pessimistic about how long it might take to get things back to normal.
“As of today, we are basically in a battle for a month. But I don’t think the spread will stop, ”he said.
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Associated Press video journalist Haruka Nuga contributed to this report.
Follow her on Twitter at https://twitter.com/HarukaNuga and Yuri Kageyama at https://twitter.com/yurikageyama