Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga declared a new state of emergency running from Sunday to May 11 in Tokyo, Osaka and two other prefectures, imposing some of the toughest measures yet to control a surge in virus cases.
Suga told his virus task force Friday night that the country needs to take strong measures at it heads into a string of holidays in late April and early May, known as “Golden Week,” a peak travel season.
Bars and restaurants that serve alcohol will be instructed to close, while fans will be banned from major sporting events, the government’s point man for virus management, Economy Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura said earlier. Establishments with karaoke equipment and commercial facilities with floor space of more than 1,000 square meters (10,764 square feet) will be asked to close during the state of emergency, Nishimura added.
Restaurants and bars line a street in the Shinsekai district of Osaka earlier in April.
Photographer: Buddhika Weerasinghe/Bloomberg
The declaration will cover Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto and Hyogo, which together make up about a quarter of the country’s population. Japan is trying to end a worrying rise in Covid-19 cases that comes three months before Tokyo hosts the Summer Olympics. Its vaccination program has reached less than 2% of the country’s 126 million people -- well behind the rates in many advanced economies.
Bars and restaurants in several major urban areas are already closed by 8 p.m. under existing lighter restrictions. But that has not been enough to stem infections, which have hit daily records this month in Osaka and climbed in Tokyo to levels not seen since January, when the capital was under its second state of emergency.
“We’ve reached the limit of virus measures based on people voluntarily changing their behavior,” Toshio Nakagawa, head of the Japan Medical Association physicians’ lobby, told reporters Thursday.
But civil liberties enshrined in the Japanese Constitution prevent imposing lockdowns backed by police actions, which means the government is putting the onus on the likes of bars, bowling alleys and baseball leagues to try to keep people from gathering.
“We’d like the public to avoid going out unnecessarily, to refrain from travel between prefectures and to stay away from crowded places,” minister Nishimura said. He added the administration planned to urge businesses to have staff work from home, with the aim of cutting commuter numbers by 70% -- bringing back a numerical target for reducing contact reminiscent of restrictions a year ago.
The new moves could delay the economy’s recovery, deal a heavy blow to struggling businesses and deliver another hit to a tourism sector that is reeling from the pandemic.
Heading Up
A third state of emergency looms in Tokyo as infection trend keeps rising
Source: Tokyo Metropolitan Government
While Japan has so far succeeded in keeping infections and deaths at far lower levels than those in much of Europe and the U.S., its vaccine program has yet to kick into high gear, meaning restricting activities is the most powerful tool Suga has for reining in cases. Meanwhile, the country is seeing an increasing number of cases involving virus mutations.
The impact of stricter curbs could even nudge Japan toward a double-dip recession, economists said.
“There will be an economic hit for sure, but I also wonder if the latest restrictions will be strong enough to contain the spread of the virus,” said Mari Iwashita, chief market economist at Daiwa Securities Co. “If they have failed to do so by mid-May, I can’t see the Tokyo Olympics going ahead.”
Thomas Bach
Photographer: Behrouz Mehri/AFP/Bloomberg
Suga wants to press on with the Olympics that are set to start in July. The Sankei newspaper Friday quoted him as saying the games will proceed as planned, adding the government is working with the Tokyo metropolitan government and organizing committees to ensure a safe and secure Olympics.
Fears have risen in Japan that the international sporting spectacle could become a superspreader event. The games have already been delayed a year due to the pandemic, and 73% of those surveyed in Japan by broadcaster ANN over the weekend said they were against holding the event this summer.
International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach told reporters the emergency declaration was not related to the event. Bach is set to visit Japan May 17-18, two months before the Olympics, Kyodo said Wednesday, citing sources close to the matter.
There is no law that prohibits the Olympics from taking place under an emergency, but it will likely impact the number of domestic spectators allowed. Overseas fans are already banned from the event.
— With assistance by Emi Nobuhiro, Go Onomitsu, Yuko Takeo, Yoshiaki Nohara, and Chris Kay
"virus" - Google News
April 23, 2021 at 06:14AM
https://ift.tt/3emYfcx
Japan Shuts Tokyo Bars, Bans Sports Fans in New Virus Emergency - Bloomberg
"virus" - Google News
https://ift.tt/2OagXru
No comments:
Post a Comment