Highest since the nationwide state of emergency was lifted in may. About 40 of tokyo hospital beds allocated for serious covid19 cases are now occupied, and experts warn the recent increase is straining the medical system. Translator Emergency Care centers will be busiest in december and january. It will affect the capacity for handling ordinary emerncy patients. In some cases, they could fall into lifethreatening conditions. Tokyo offials have asked bars and restaurants that serve alcohol to close early starting this weekend authorities in osaka, sapporo and nagoya are making the same request. The Prime Minister is urging people to take basic precautions, such as weari masks, washing hands, and avoiding the three cs closed spaces, crowded places, and closecontact settings. The Central Government says the next three weeks are crucial. It wants to avoid reaching the highest alert level, which could lead to declaring a state of emergency again. Over 143,000 people have been infected sinc