TOKYO (Reuters) – The Japanese government plans to declare a state of emergency for the Tokyo area last week to seven more prefectures on Wednesday in a bid to halt the release of COVID-19, the public broadcaster said NHK reported.
The move comes after the rulers of Osaka, Hyogo, Aichi and other tough prefectures called on the government to release the state of emergency, which will give local authorities a legal basis to impose restrictions on cargo movements and businesses -resident.
Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga has been cautious about taking steps to curb economic activity, while he has bravely faced the great challenges of hosting the Olympics. delay in Tokyo this year.
As coronavirus infections pass at third-wave highs in Japan, opinion polls have shown a growing population against holding summer games this summer. -year.
In an NHK survey published on Wednesday, just 16% of respondents said the Games should go ahead this year – down 11 points from last month’s poll – while 77 % together think they should be turned off or off.
The government plans to hold a meeting with an advisory panel on Wednesday to decide on an extended state of emergency.
Osaka, Kyoto, Hyogo, Fukuoka, Aichi, Gifu and Tochigi to a state of emergency would cover about 55% of the Japanese population.
The latest emergency confirmation, however, is much narrower than the first one last spring. It aims to combat spread in bars and restaurants, while at the same time urging people to stay at home as long as possible. The state of emergency is expected to last through Feb. 7.
Japan has seen some 298,000 coronavirus cases and 4,192 deaths so far, according to NHK.
Reporting by Chang-Ran Kim; Edited by Aurora Ellis