Japan set to declare state of emergency
TOKYO: Japan is to declare a state of emergency in Tokyo and six other prefectures as early as today in a bid to stop the coronavirus, the Prime Minister said, with the Government preparing a stimulus package to soften the economic blow.
More than 3500 people have tested positive for the coronavirus in Japan and 85 have died — not a huge outbreak compared with some hot spots, but the numbers keep rising. There is particular alarm over the spread in Tokyo, which has more than 1000 cases, including 83 new ones yesterday.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe made the announcement on the state of emergency in remarks to media televised live.
The emergency, which Abe said would last about a month, will give governors authority to call on people to stay at home and businesses to close, but not to order the kind of lockdowns seen in other countries. In most cases, there will be no penalties for ignoring requests, enforcement relying more on peer pressure and respect for authority.
Pressure had been mounting on the Government to take the step although Abe has voiced concern about being too hasty, given the restrictions on movement and businesses that would ensue.
The stimulus package of hundreds of billions of dollars is due to be rolled out this week.
The emergency would appear to have public support. In a poll published yesterday by JNN, 80% of those surveyed said Abe should declare it, while 12% said it was not necessary.
Kenji Shibuya, director of the Institute for Public Health at King’s College, London, said the emergency was too late, given the explosive increase in cases in Tokyo.
‘‘It should have been declared by April 1 at the latest,’’ he said.
Sounding alarm over the high rate of cases that could not be traced, Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike indicated last week she would favour a state of emergency as a way to help her urge residents to adhere to stronger socialdistancing measures.
While Japan’s coronavirus epidemic is dwarfed by the 337,000 infections and more than 9500 deaths in the United States alone, experts worry a sudden surge could overwhelm Japan’s medical system. — Reuters