TOKYO, Jan 6 (NNN-NHK) – Japan yesterday confirmed a record 4,912 new daily infections, bringing the country’s cumulative total to 253,437, not including those related to a cruise ship quarantined near Tokyo.
The new record figure comes as Japan is moving towards declaring another state of emergency in Tokyo and the three neighbouring prefectures of Kanagawa, Saitama and Chiba, owing to a resurgence of COVID-19 infections in these areas.
The greater Tokyo area now accounts for half of the country’s daily infections.
Japanese Prime Minister, Yoshihide Suga, said, a decision to declare another state of emergency would be made tomorrow, stating, “What the people want from the government is a sense of security and hope.”
“We will put the virus response first and work hard at it,” Suga said, at a meeting of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP).
Government officials said, the emergency declaration is expected to be kept in place for roughly one month, for the greater Tokyo area.
Tokyo, the hardest hit among all of Japan’s prefectures, reported 1,278 new cases yesterday, the second-highest on record, since the outbreak of the pandemic, bringing its overall tally to 64,752 infections.
Neighbouring Kanagawa Prefecture confirmed 622 new infections, to total 23,510, Saitama Prefecture, meanwhile, registered 369 new cases, bringing its tally to 15,542 infections, while Chiba Prefecture booked 261 new cases to a total of 12,123 infections.
A state of emergency was declared in Tokyo and six other prefectures on Apr 7, last year. It was later expanded to cover the whole country.
Suga said, he would take into account the opinions of health experts, before making a final decision on the declaration tomorrow.
He also said, he would look to the health experts to “set a direction,” regarding the emergency declaration.
The Metropolitan government decided to ask restaurants serving alcohol, to close by 8:00 p.m. from Friday. Thereafter, all dining facilities, including those which do not serve alcohol, will be asked to close at 8:00 p.m. from Jan 12 through Jan 31.
“Since the Tokyo metropolitan area and surrounding prefectures are connected, we are coordinating with each other to implement (more) effective measures,” Tokyo Governor, Yuriko Koike, said.
The current legislation provides a legal basis for governors to ask residents in their prefectures to stay at home and also enables stronger steps to deal with outbreaks, including the requisition of medical supplies and food, as well as, the expropriation of private land for emergency health facilities.
As the Diet affairs chiefs of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan agreed on the plan, the amendment is expected to be approved by lawmakers in early Feb.– NNN-NHK
