The coronavirus state of emergency in the Tokyo Metropolitan Area must be extended by an additional two weeks beyond its looming expiry, Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said on Wednesday
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 03rd March, 2021) The coronavirus state of emergency in the Tokyo Metropolitan Area must be extended by an additional two weeks beyond its looming expiry, Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said on Wednesday.
The state of emergency in the sprawling capital region, the last region still under the order since early January, was set to expire this Sunday. However, despite a downward trend in the number of new COVID-19 cases, Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike on Tuesday expressed concerns about the lifting, arguing that the pace at which the number of new infections is falling may not be fast enough to lift the emergency for the area.
"I believe a two-week extension is necessary to protect the lives and livelihoods of the people," Suga told reporters, as quoted by the Japan Times newspaper.
The prime minister added that the final decision will be made following consultation with virologists and governors of Tokyo, Kanagawa, Chiba and Saitama prefectures, composing the greater metropolitan area.
On Wednesday, Tokyo confirmed 316 new cases of the coronavirus, marking a dramatic increase after recording on Monday the lowest daily increment � 121 cases � since early November.
