A hotel room prepared for people infected with the novel coronavirus is shown in August 2020 in Fukuoka. (Asahi Shimbun file photo)
Health protocols enforced during the novel coronavirus crisis have made it effectively impossible for some infected patients to vote in elections, a possible violation of their constitutional rights.
Patients with mild conditions are supposed to stay at hotels or other facilities for recuperation, even on election days. Although absentee and early voting are available, these systems have proved insufficient to deal with the problem as the virus continues to spread around the nation.
Local governments are calling for legal revisions ahead of the Lower House election scheduled for autumn at the latest.
Mar 17, 2021
As new coronavirus cases in Tokyo hit a monthly high, Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga declared Wednesday evening that he intends to lift the nation’s last remaining COVID-19 state of emergency currently covering the capital and three neighboring prefectures as scheduled on Monday.
The decision is expected to be made official at the government’s task force meeting Thursday, which will follow a meeting of an expert advisory panel.
“The number of new cases or the rate of hospitalization are within the range to lift (the state of emergency),” Suga told reporters Wednesday evening. “We will naturally put in place measures to make sure a resurgence (of new cases) won’t happen.”
Japan may decide Thursday whether to end Tokyo s COVID-19 emergency japantimes.co.jp - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from japantimes.co.jp Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Japan may decide on March 18 whether to end Tokyo s COVID-19 emergency
The Japanese government could decide Thursday whether to stick to its plan to end the COVID-19 state of emergency covering the Tokyo metropolitan area this weekend or to further extend the measure, officials said Monday.
While some in the administration of Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga are in favor of easing some restrictions, there are lingering concerns over a resurgence in infections and the spread of more contagious variants of the novel coronavirus, said the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity. A shopping arcade in Tokyo s Shinagawa Ward is crowded with people wearing face masks on March 13, 2021, under a coronavirus state of emergency. (Kyodo)
As far as plans go, it's an attention-grabbing one. A candidate for governor in Japan has decided to dress up as the Joker. It's certainly different. The politician in question is Yuusuke Kawai. His political party also has an unusual name. He's a representative of the Party to Make All of Chiba a Land of Dreams and Magic. He's now in the running to replace Chiba Prefecture