Nikkei Asian Review: Japan to declare month-long COVID emergency as soon as Thursday
Move will cover Tokyo and surrounding areas where infections are surging
Latest developments:
* Japan's government will issue new emergency declaration as early as Thursday
* Tokyo and surrounding areas call on residents to stay indoors after 8 p.m.
* Bars and restaurants to close early, but schools will remain open
TOKYO -- Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga's government is poised to declare a state of emergency for the second time in the COVID-19 pandemic, acting as soon as Thursday to combat surging cases in the Tokyo area, Nikkei has learned.
The emergency would cover the capital as well as the neighboring prefectures of Kanagawa, Saitama and Chiba and is expected to last roughly a month.
Japan's first state of emergency was declared on April 7 last year and lasted into late May. Suga told a New Year's press conference Monday his government was considering a new declaration after a weekend plea by the governors of Tokyo and surrounding areas.
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Update #1: Japan PM tells party meeting emergency declaration will be decided on Thursday -media (Reuters)
Update #2: What will Tokyo's second state of emergency mean? (Straits Times/Bloomberg)
WNU Editor: Here is the latest Covid-19 data from Japan ....
.... On Sunday, Japan recorded 3,150 new cases, and 51 deaths, bringing the national total to 244,559, with over 3,612 fatalities. The greater Tokyo region has been among the worst hit, with 816 new cases Sunday after last Thursday recording a new single-day record of 1,337.
