Japan has declared a month-long state of emergency in Tokyo less than 200 days before the start of the Olympic Games.
The host city has been put under the Japanese government’s most severe restrictions for the first time since last April after reporting a new daily record of 2,447 Coronavirus (COVID-19) cases on Thursday, shattering Wednesday’s previous high of 1,591.
Deaths nationwide have passed 3,700 doublings in less than two months.
Under the new rules, residents in Tokyo and three surrounding areas have been urged to avoid non-essential outings, restaurants and bars have been asked to close at 8 pm and crowds at sports and other events have been limited to 5,000 people. Shops and schools remain open.
The restrictions will stay in place until at least February 7 and will not be lifted in Tokyo until cases decline to 500 a day.
The declaration carries no penalties. But it works as a strong request while Japan juggles to keep the economy going.
Shopping malls and schools will remain open. Movie theaters, museums, and other events will be asked to reduce attendance. Places that defy the request will get publicised on a list, while those that comply will be eligible for aid, according to officials.
The announcement raises yet more concern about the prospect of the rescheduled Olympics taking place in July, despite the insistence of Japan’s Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga and others that it will.
Upcoming exhibitions of the Olympic torch around Tokyo have already been postponed and there are now major doubts about the safety of the torch relay, which is due to begin on 25 March and involve 10,000 runners across four months.
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