Japan Extends Tokyo State of Emergency Two Months Before Olympics

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Buaeri] With the Tokyo Olympics opening just two months away, the Japanese government has extended the existing state of emergency period for COVID-19 response and expanded the target areas.

On the 7th, the Japanese government held a COVID-19 task force meeting chaired by Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide and decided to extend the third state of emergency, which had been declared in four metropolitan areas including Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, and Hyogo until the 11th, until the 31st.

In addition, the government plans to apply emergency measures until the end of this month in two other areas, Aichi and Fukuoka, where the spread of infection has worsened.

Currently, five metropolitan areas including the three prefectures in the Tokyo metropolitan area?Saitama, Chiba, and Kanagawa?where 'Priority Measures to Prevent Spread' equivalent to a state of emergency are being implemented, have had their priority measures extended from the 11th until the end of this month.

Furthermore, three new areas?Hokkaido, Gifu, and Mie?that newly requested the application of these measures have been added to the target regions.

As a result, 14 out of Japan's 47 prefectures have become target areas for either a state of emergency or equivalent measures to suppress the spread of COVID-19.

This is the third time that the state of emergency declared in Japan due to COVID-19 has been extended.