Breaking News – State of Emergency Declared in Japan For Tokyo Area

Breaking News - State of Emergency Declared in Japan For Tokyo Area

BREAKING NEWS – The Prime Minister of Japan, Yoshihide Suga, has declared a state of emergency in the capital Tokyo and three neighbouring areas due to the coronavirus crisis.

The news has been rumoured for a few days after new daily cases surged to a record of more than 7,000 and finally Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide has issued a statement regarding new restrictions:

“The rapid spread of COVID-19 across the country has created a situation that could have a serious impact on people’s lives and the economy. Therefore, I hereby declare a state of emergency based on the anti-virus law,” he said.

The new restictions apply to Tokyo, Kanagawa, Saitama and Chiba from January 8 to February 7, says the head of government.

While Japan has fewer infections than many other nations, on Thursday, January 7, there were nearly 2,500 cases in Tokyo alone.

Under the new rules, bars and restaurants will be asked to close by 8 pm and to stop serving alcohol an hour earlier. Residents will also be asked to refrain from non-essential outings after 8 pm.

Companies will be asked to encourage remote work, and reduce the number of staff in their offices by 70 per cent.

The number of spectators at live events will be limited to half of the available seats and no greater than 5,000.

Schools, however, will not be asked to close.

Following the declaration, the Prime Minister held a news conference to ask for cooperation.

Suga said: “The coronavirus pandemic is becoming worse than we had ever imagined. But I believe we can overcome this situation. To accomplish this, we have no choice but to ask you to once again restrict your lifestyle. We are determined to improve the situation within the next month. As prime minister, I will do my utmost and take every possible measure to prevent the spread of infection.”


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Written by

Matthew Roscoe

Originally from the UK, Matthew is based on the Costa Blanca and is a web reporter for The Euro Weekly News covering international and Spanish national news. Got a news story you want to share? Then get in touch at editorial@euroweeklynews.com.

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