TOKYO (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 28th July, 2021) Three Japanese prefectures neighboring Tokyo will likely declare a state of emergency later this week due to a skyrocketing number of Delta variant cases, national media reported on Wednesday.
The Olympic host city registered 3,177 new cases earlier today, the highest since the onset of the pandemic, with neighboring Kanagawa registering a record 1,051, the Kyodo news agency reported.
The prefectures of Kanagawa, Saitama and Chiba, which are also hosting the Summer Games and are under quasi-emergency restrictions, are imposing stricter measures, according to the Nippon tv broadcaster.
On July 12, Tokyo extended the state of emergency for the fourth time until August 22, covering the entire duration of the Olympic Games.
The Summer Olympics in Tokyo were initially scheduled for 2020 but were postponed in the spring of last year due to the pandemic. As part of its COVID-19 measures, the Olympics committee has banned spectators from most of the events.
