Crowd at the Ameya Yokocho Market in Tokyo on December 30th.
Photographer: Noriko Hayashi / Bloomberg
Photographer: Noriko Hayashi / Bloomberg
Japan’s stance against declaring another state of emergency appears to be changing, as coronavirus infections fueled by the onset of cold weather showed no signs of declining even after the country intensified containment measures.
Tokyo metropolitan government is considering an application to the central government to declare a state of national emergency NHK reported, without citing how it obtained the information. On Wednesday, Yasutoshi Nishimura, the minister in charge of Japan’s coronavirus response, said the country could be considered an emergency if infections continue at the current rate.
So far Japanese officials have said they were not thinking of taking that step. Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, who normally says no emergency is being considered, discussed direct questions on the issue on Thursday evening in statements to reporters. Suga said the most important thing was to protect the medical system and prevent the acceleration of the spread of the virus and did not address the emergency directly.
Japan briefly enacted a state of emergency during the months of April and May in response to the initial wave of coronavirus cases. The state of emergency does not allow for a complete blockade, but gives more powers to local governments, including urging residents to stay home for a set period of time during the emergency period.
The news comes when Japan reported a record day of new cases of Covid-19, which crossed 4,000 for the first time. Tokyo recorded 1,337 record cases: a big jump and the first time the daily figure exceeded 1,000.
Some urban areas across Japan have already implemented measures, such as the request for early closure of bars and restaurants. The government has also moved forward with the decision to implement a change in law to be able to fine restaurants that do not respond to requests for closure soon. Sankei reported Friday, citing government sources familiar with the matter. According to the report, the amended measures will be submitted for approval when the diet meets again in January.
Read more: Japan is considering fines for getting bars to close soon due to a virus
Although the number of absolute infections is low in Japan compared to countries such as the United States and India, the island nation has faced an increase in new cases that began in early November.
The government does not have the legal means to force a blockade and its ability to contain the spread of the virus without any of it is now being questioned. In addition, officials have been avoiding heavy restrictions while trying to recover the country’s recessionary economy.
– With the assistance of Kana Nishizawa