TOKYO (AP) – Japan started its first day under a coronavirus emergency on Friday with much of the life as usual, including morning commuter trains transporting crowds of mask-wearing people to busy stations.
Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga reiterated his request to restaurants to shorten office hours and for people to work from home.
“We take this very seriously. In any case, I would like to overcome this difficult situation with the cooperation of the people, ”Suga told reporters.
The emergency will run until February 7. The declaration asks restaurants and bars to close at 8 p.m., while no drinks are served after 7 p.m.
It applies to Tokyo and the three surrounding prefectures of Saitama, Chiba and Kanagawa.
Nationwide, confirmed COVID-19 cases have reached about 260,000, with more than 7,500 new cases reported Friday.
“Infection is the highest ever in any region of the country,” Suga said.
Suga has promised legal overhauls, including allowing sanctions and other measures to strengthen the requests. They will be examined in parliament later this month.
The statement is expected to have some impact in conformist Japan. Some companies have opposed remote working, and the state of emergency can help employees assert their desire to stay at home.
But much of life will remain the same, with schools open, sporting events, shops and cinemas, but with social distance and mask-wearing measures. The crowd is expected to get thinner at night.
The previous emergency, declared in April and May, was broader in scope and area, but had some effect in limiting the spread of COVID-19.
The number of daily cases in Tokyo has risen, hitting a daily record of 2,447 on Thursday. The goal is to reduce them to 500, according to officials.
Like many residents of Tokyo, Kazue Kuramitsu was already pessimistic about how long it might take for things to return to normal.
“From today on, we have actually been in a battle for a month. But I don’t think the spread will stop, ”she 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