COVID emergency: Japan also plans to bring four other regions under a less strict measure. (File)
Tokyo:
The Japanese government decided on Wednesday to extend the state of emergency for the virus to eight more regions a day after the opening ceremony of the Paralympic Games, as rising infections put pressure on hospitals.
The move comes with the end of summer vacation and top infection experts suggesting postponing the start of classes to reduce contamination risks.
The country has registered more than 20,000 new cases a day in recent weeks as the more contagious Delta strain spreads.
In urban areas such as Tokyo, patients in serious condition have to wait for hours or travel long distances in ambulances to find available hospital beds.
“The number of new cases has continued to hit record highs nationwide,” Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga told ministers and government officials as he announced the expansion.
“The portability of the Delta variant is extremely strong. We need the continued cooperation of people to overcome this crisis.”
Eight other regions will be under the virus emergency already in place in 13 areas, including Tokyo, with a tentative end date of September 12.
The measure largely restricts the sale of alcohol by restaurants and bars, asking them to close early, while urging the public to work from home and avoid non-emergency outings.
The cabinet also plans to bring four other regions under a less strict measure.
In total, the planned move means that 33 of Japan’s 47 regions will be subject to tightened anti-infection rules, as the country will host the Paralympic Games after the Olympics.
Organizers say their countermeasures have stopped the spread of infection from participants to the Japanese public, but some experts argue that holding the events undermined government coverage of the virus and encouraged people to step outside.
A top government adviser on the virus told lawmakers on Wednesday that municipalities should be able to consider extending the summer holidays for schoolchildren to prevent infections.
The government has so far ruled out general school closures and is continuing a vaccination program that started slowly but has accelerated, with about 40 percent of the population now fully vaccinated.
So far, Japan has recorded about 15,500 deaths during the pandemic.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NewsMadura staff and has been published from a syndicated feed.)
