TOKYO, Jan 2, 2021 (BSS/AFP) – Tokyo’s governor on Saturday asked Japan’s
central government to declare a new state of emergency as the country battles
a third wave of the coronavirus, with record numbers of new cases.
Yuriko Koike, joined by the governors of three neighbouring regions,
called for the measure to be imposed in their areas during a meeting with
Yasutoshi Nishimura, the minister in charge of the coronavirus response.
Japanese officials have in recent weeks asked restaurants and businesses
to close early and urged people to stay at home, measures that Koike said
were having “some effect”.
“But considering the number of cases and the situation of the medical
system in Tokyo and the three neighbouring prefectures, we decided it was
necessary to immediately and thoroughly curb the movement of people,” she
told reporters.
Nishimura, who earlier this week said a state of emergency could be
necessary if cases continued to rise, said the government viewed the
situation as “serious” and would discuss the request.
He said he had asked governors to request businesses further shorten their
hours and that residents avoid non-essential outings after 8.00 pm.
On Thursday, Tokyo reported more than 1,300 new cases, far exceeding the
previous high of 949 cases set late last month, with nationwide infections
also breaking records.
Japan imposed a first state of emergency in spring.
The measure allows local governors to call on businesses to close and to
request people stay at home. It carries no penalties for non-compliance, but
the requests were widely observed this spring.
– Six months until Olympics –
There was no immediate word on whether the governors would seek school
closures. Japan was one of the first countries in the world to shutter
schools, with then prime minister Shinzo Abe calling for closures in
February.
Japan has had a milder pandemic than many other countries, with about
3,500 deaths since its first case in January.
It has also avoided the harsh lockdowns seen elsewhere, with no legal
mechanism to enforce closure requests and calls for people to stay home.
The government hopes to pass legislation allowing penalties for non-
compliance in the next parliament session this month.
Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, who took office this autumn after Abe
resigned, has been criticised for his government’s response to the new wave
of infections, and in particular its support of a controversial programme
promoting domestic travel.
The programme has been suspended over the new year — when many Japanese
travel to visit family — and government officials have urged people to stay
home to help suppress the new wave.
The government has been reluctant to impose a new state of emergency, for
fear of the economic impact.
The new spike in infections comes little more than six months before Tokyo
is set to host the virus-delayed Olympic Games.
Tokyo 2020 was postponed last spring as the scale of the pandemic became
clear, but despite optimism from officials and organisers, most of the
Japanese public is opposed to holding the Games this summer, favouring a
further delay or outright cancellation.