Tanjug
Japan will declare a state of emergency in three more prefectures that have been hit harder by the Covid-19 pandemic, Economy Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura said today, which is a surprising move that shows how much fear the spread of the virus causes.
Hokkaido, Okayama and Hiroshima will join Tokyo, Osaka and four other prefectures from Sunday, which have already imposed a state of emergency by May 31, said Nishimura, who is also at the head of the body for the implementation of measures against coronavirus, Reuters reported.
The government originally proposed a “semi-state of emergency” for five more prefectures.
– There were various views during the meeting with medical experts. Based on those audits, we withdrew the original plan and came out with the current one, and then got approval – said Nishimura.
Japan is struggling with an increase in the number of infections due to more contagious strains of Covid, just ten weeks before the start of the Olympic Games.
With the latest measures, 19 of the 47 prefectures in Japan, which cover about 70 percent of the population, will be under restrictive measures, including the closure of restaurants until 8 pm and a ban on serving alcohol in cafes and restaurants.
Experts add that medical resources are on the brink, as the vaccination campaign is one of the slowest among developed countries, as only three percent of the population has been vaccinated so far, Reuters data show.
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