TOKYO, Apr 2 (NNN-NHK) – Japanese Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, said, the nation is not yet at a point where it is necessary to declare a state of emergency over the COVID-19, despite numbers of COVID-19 cases continuing to rise in Japan.
Speaking at an upper house committee meeting on the matter, the Japanese leader said, if and when a decision would be made, it would be done based on prioritising people’s lives and the health of the public.
While Tokyo Governor, Yuriko Koike, urged Abe to decide whether to declare a state of emergency, as cases in the capital continued to rise, the Japanese leader said that for the time being prefectural governors would be allowed to make requests of their citizens and give orders.
Abe’s latest remarks still see Koike expand the restriction of people’s movements in the capital, following her request last week, for people to stay home and her ongoing call for people to work from home and refrain from going outside in the evenings.
As with Tokyo, Osaka Prefecture identified nightclubs and other night spots as potential COVID-19 hot-spots, with Yoshimura Hirofumi, the governor of Osaka, saying, the virus could spread rapidly in night spots that operate until early morning, as customers stay in close quarters for relatively long periods of time.
He said, the situation, if left unchecked, could lead to an “explosive spread” of cases of the COVID-19.
As of 6:30 p.m. local time Wednesday, official figures showed that 2,362 people have been infected with the COVID-19 virus in Japan, with 66 new cases recorded in Tokyo, bringing the total in the capital to 587 cases.
Osaka, meanwhile, recorded 244 COVID-19 cases, the second-highest nationwide behind Tokyo.
The total death toll nationwide stands at 78, according to the health ministry and local authorities as of Wednesday evening.
Abe, in addition, told the upper house committee meeting that, even if a state of emergency were to be declared, it would not necessarily mean that cities nationwide would face an immediate lock-down.
The prime minister suggested, were a declaration be made, a number of orders may be issued on a case-by-case basis, as dictated by the needs of cities and prefectures, and as requested by prefectural authorities.
Abe said, it would not be possible to implement sweeping lock-downs here, as other countries, such as France have done, but said, if a state of emergency is declared, then he stood ready to fulfil his obligations.
He added that such a scenario would mean that the nation is in a state of crisis and citizens here would have to understand that their swift response would be paramount.– NNN-NHK