Japan’s Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga declared a state of emergency in the Tokyo metropolitan area after a record number of coronavirus cases were reported in the capital and across the country.
Suga was pressured by his own health experts to act, as the country struggles with a third wave of infections far more serious than previously seen in the pandemic.
“The situation is becoming more and more worrying across the country and we have a strong sense of crisis,” said Suga when announcing the new restrictions, which will take effect on Friday. “We fear that the rapid national spread of the coronavirus is having a major impact on people’s lives and the economy.”
Tokyo reported a record 2,444 new infections on Thursday, down from 1,591 on Wednesday, while media reports cited a national record number of more than 7,000, also a historic record.
The increase has prompted warnings that Tokyo hospitals will soon be unable to cope with the flow of patients with Covid-19. “Every day we see a record number of infections. We have a very serious sense of crisis, ”said Yasutoshi Nishimura, the minister responsible for Japan’s response to the pandemic.
The measures, which will run for a month – but possibly for longer – will be less stringent than the blockages seen in other countries and, unlike Japan’s first state of emergency in the spring, non-essential schools and businesses will not be asked to Close .
In addition, sporting events may continue, with the revised spectator limit to 5,000 people or 50% of capacity, whichever is less. Gyms, department stores and entertainment venues will be asked to shorten their opening hours.
It is estimated that 150,000 bars and restaurants in Tokyo and the three neighboring prefectures of Kanagawa, Chiba and Saitama – which together represent about 30% of the country’s 126 million population – will have to stop serving alcohol at 7pm and close one hour after . People will be encouraged to avoid non-essential tours after 8 pm.
The companies will be asked to increase the supply of remote work with the aim of reducing passenger traffic by 70%, according to the media.
Some experts have expressed doubts that the measures work given the speed with which the cases have increased in recent days. Suga, who saw his approval ratings plummet over the management of the pandemic, resisted drastic measures, fearing that they could damage the economy as it recovered from the effects of the first state of emergency.
According to simulations by Hiroshi Nishiura of Kyoto University, daily infections in Tokyo could reach 3,500 a day in February and 7,000 in March without further measures. An emergency declaration would need to last at least two months to bring infections to manageable levels, he said.
But Dr. Atsuo Hamada, a professor at the Tokyo Medical University Hospital, said that focusing on the night economy is a sensible approach. “When people go out to eat at night, they tend to get drunk, speak out loud and sing, so airborne infections spread more quickly,” he said.
Japanese and International Olympic Committee officials insist that the global pandemic will not undermine plans to open the already postponed Tokyo Olympics on July 23, despite evidence that Japanese public opinion has turned against the Games.
Only this week Suga insisted that he was still committed to holding the Olympics as “proof of humanity’s victory over the virus”.
On Thursday, the Tokyo metropolitan government said that the next Olympic torch displays around the capital were postponed “to reduce the flow of people and the spread of Covid-19”. The torch relay, involving 10,000 runners, is expected to begin on March 25.
Japanese authorities have no legal powers to enforce virus prevention measures, but most people are expected to follow the advice – one of several factors that experts believe explains Japan’s success in maintaining the number of cases and the number of deaths much lower than in the USA, Britain and some other countries.
However, the government is planning legislation that would allow local authorities to fine companies that fail to comply. For now, up to ¥ 60,000 [£426] one day it will be offered to establishments that close earlier, while the government may nominate and shame those who do not follow the guidelines.
The city of Osaka recorded a record 560 cases on Thursday, while the northern island of Hokkaido recorded more than 100 cases for the first time in a week.
“Depending on how infections are spreading from now on, we may need to think about a state of emergency across the country,” said Toshio Nakagawa, president of the Japanese Medical Association.
Despite the recent increase, the outbreak in Japan remains comparatively small, with around 260,000 cases and just over 3,800 deaths since the country’s first infection was detected in January last year.
Agencies contributed to reports