Only four of Japan’s 47 prefectures will take the central government’s option of easing infection count rules that currently oblige medical workers to report detailed information of every COVID-19 case, the Asahi Shimbun learned.
The government on Jan. 19 approved pre-emergency measures for 13 additional prefectures, but its chief health expert said the strict “stay home” requests issued during previous infection waves are not necessary this time around.
Kanagawa Governor Yuji Kuroiwa explains his prefectural government s version of the state of emergency at a July 16 news conference. (Yushin Adachi)
With just days to go before the Tokyo Olympics kick off, signs are emerging of a “fifth wave” in COVID-19 cases in major urban areas, particularly the capital and Osaka in western Japan.
Tokyo on July 16 reported more than 1,000 fresh cases of novel coronavirus infection for the third straight day. Metropolitan government officials noted that a record 303 were confirmed with the more feared Delta variant.
While Tokyo will remain under a state of emergency until Aug. 22, spreading infections in the three neighboring prefectures of Chiba, Kanagawa and Saitama led prefectural authorities on July 16 to decide to expand the geographical range of pre-emergency measures in their jurisdictions.
Saitama, Chiba governors: No Olympic fans after 9 p m : The Asahi Shimbun asahi.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from asahi.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.