TOKYO (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 09th September, 2021) Japan plans to extend a coronavirus-related state of emergency in 19 prefectures, including the metropolitan area, until September 30 in a bid to ease the burden on hospitals that remain loaded despite a downward trend in new infections, Japanese media reported on Thursday, citing the government.
The Kyodo news agency said, citing Yasutoshi Nishimura, the minister in charge of Japan's coronavirus response, that the medical systems in the 19 prefectures of concern were in a "severe situation" and that COVID-19 restrictions should be kept in place ahead of the national holidays in late September, when domestic travel is expected to rise.
The emergency currently in place in 21 out of Japan's 47 prefectures is set to end on Sunday. After that, the prefectures of Okayama and Miyagi will be placed under quasi-emergency restrictions, while the remaining 19 prefectures will remain under emergency.
Quasi-emergency restrictions in 12 more prefectures that are also set to expire on Sunday will be extended until September 30 but only in six of them � Toyama, Yamanashi, Ehime, Kochi, Saga and Nagasaki.
Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga is set to make a formal decision on the emergency extension at a task force meeting later on Thursday, according to the report.
At the same time, the Japanese government is reportedly mulling a road map for easing restrictions after most of the population is vaccinated. As part of such measures, it plans to review its restrictions for international travelers, in particular, to cut the COVID-19 quarantine period for people entering Japan from 14 to 10 days.
