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The Virus Emergency Is Widened By Japan To Three More Prefectures

      

 

 

 

Image Credit – Times Of India

 

Japan has declared a state of emergency in another three prefectures that have been hard hit by the dreaded Covid-19 pandemic. It is a surprise move that has mirrored growing concerns about the coronavirus spread.

The recent declaration has come as Japan has grappled with the number of infectious virus strains as the Tokyo Olympics is going to start on 23rd July which is just 10 weeks away.

Okayama, Hokkaido, and Hiroshima are going to join Osaka and Tokyo and also four other prefectures on Sunday under a state of emergency until 31st May, according to Yasutoshi Nishimura, the Economy Minister who has also been in charge of the countermeasures.

The government of Japan has kept an eye on the economy as the government has proposed a more targeted quasi-emergency declaration for another five prefectures.

Nishimura has explained the decision and told the parliament that according to experts a strong message has to be sent to the public given the present critical situation with the mutant strains.

According to the plans, the less stringent measures have been widened to the three prefectures.

The latest measures have brought 19 of the 47 prefectures of Japan which is home to about 70% of the population, under curbs such as an 8 pm closing deadline for all the eateries and also a ban on alcohol at most restaurants and bars.

There has been an estimate that the state of emergency in the nine prefectures could slash about 1 trillion yen that is $9.1 billion from the GDP and it may cut more than 57,000 jobs in the coming months.

According to a poll by a large media outlet, the economy is expected to grow much more slowly than hoped previously in this quarter and it is hobbled by emergency curbs.

According to experts, medical resources have been pushed to the brink while the inoculation drive by Japan has been the slowest among all the advanced nations as just 3% of the population has been vaccinated.

The popularity of Yoshihide Suga, the Prime Minister has been badly hit and many see it as his government’s inadequate response to the virus. A fresh poll has been coordinated as the ratings for the cabinet’s approval stands at 32.2% and it is down by 4.4 points from the survey that has been previously held.

The prefecture of the northern-island Hokkaido is all set to host the marathon and on Thursday, reported a record number of cases. The tally for the infection of Japan stands at almost 656,000 and there have been 11,161 deaths. In the capital of Tokyo, 854 new cases have been reported on Friday.

There has been a state of emergency in Tokyo and elsewhere that is going to run through the entire month and it has left fewer than a couple of months until the Olympics.

There has also been public opposition to the summer games and it is already postponed from 2020.

 


      


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