Japan PM asked to expand emergency
TOKYO: Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said yesterday the government will take “a few days” before judging whether it will expand a state of emergency over the coronavirus pandemic to include Osaka, Kyoto and Hyogo prefectures.
The comment on a television programme came a day after the governors of the three western prefectures asked the central government to extend the state of emergency, which took effect on Friday for the Tokyo region, to their jurisdictions in response to the resurging coronavirus.
“I was told that we need to see the situation for a few days, so I am thinking that way,” Mr Suga said, referring to the opinion of a government panel of experts that monitors infection trends.
The government has requested measures such as shortening the opening hours of restaurants and promoting telework across the three prefectures.
“I know they are in a tense situation. We are ready to respond immediately if necessary,” he added.
By declaring a state of emergency, the central government enables local authorities to urge people to stay home as much as possible and to call on eateries to shorten opening hours.
In April, Japan issued a state of emergency for some of the nation’s 47 prefectures and later widened it. The government fully lifted it in late May.
The resurgence of the virus has been increasing the strain on the country’s medical system. Opposition parties have criticised Mr Suga for being slow to declare the one-month state of emergency for Tokyo and the neighbouring prefectures of Chiba, Kanagawa and Saitama.
The decision finally came after the governors of the four local governments requested it earlier this month.
“I humbly accept [the criticism],” Mr Suga told the programme on public broadcaster NHK.
On Saturday, the daily tally of coronavirus infections in Japan topped 7,000 for the third day in a row, after hitting a record of around 7,900 on Friday.
Japan’s cumulative total of deaths also surpassed 4,000, reaching the milestone just half a month after the figure topped 3,000 on Dec 22, underscoring how the pace of deaths has increased in unison with the surge in infections.