Hustle and bustle in Tokyo’s Ameya Yokocho Market on Dec. 30.
Photographer: Noriko Hayashi / Bloomberg
Photographer: Noriko Hayashi / Bloomberg
Japan’s stance against declaring a new state of emergency appears to be changing, as coronavirus infections fueled by the onset of cold weather showed no signs of diminishing even after the country stepped up containment measures.
Tokyo metropolitan government is considering requesting central government to declare a state of emergency, national broadcaster NHK reported, without stating how the information had been obtained. On Wednesday, Yasutoshi Nishimura, the minister responsible for the response to the coronavirus in Japan, said the country could consider an emergency if infections persist at the current rate.
Japanese officials have said so far that they were not thinking of taking such a step. Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, who typically says an emergency is not being considered, in comments to reporters on Thursday night, ignored direct questions about this. Suga said the most important thing was to protect the medical system and prevent the accelerated spread of viruses, and did not address the emergency directly.
Japan briefly issued a state of emergency in April and May in response to the first wave of coronavirus cases. The state of emergency does not allow for a full lockdown, but gives more powers to local authorities, including urging residents to stay at home for a certain amount of time during the emergency period.
The news comes as Japan reported a record day of new Covid-19 cases, surpassing 4,000 for the first time. Tokyo saw a record 1,337 cases – a quantum leap and the first time the daily figure exceeded 1,000.
Some urban areas across Japan have already taken measures, such as requesting bars and restaurants to close early. The government has also gone ahead with a decision to apply to amend the law so that it can fine restaurants that fail to respond to requests to close early, Sankei reported it Friday, citing government sources familiar with the case. The amended measures will be submitted for approval when the Diet is back in session in January, according to the report.
Read more: Japan is considering fines to close bars early due to viruses
Although the absolute number of infections in Japan is low compared to countries such as the US and India, the island state is struggling with an increase in the number of new cases that started in early November.
The government lacks the legal means to enforce a lockdown, and its ability to contain the spread of the virus without there being one is now being questioned. In addition, officials have avoided severe restrictions as they try to get the country’s recessionary economy back on track.
– With the help of Kana Nishizawa