|
 The central government has received requests for the so-called
quasi-emergency measures from another 18 prefectures, Prime Minister
Fumio Kishida told reporters.
The measures allow regional governors to order curbs on mobility and
business, such as making restaurants and bars close early and
restricting alcohol sales.
Japan has declared various levels of emergency multiple times during
the two-year pandemic. A full state of emergency might involve
closures of venues serving alcohol, attendance restrictions at
sporting and cultural events and fines for non-compliant businesses.
Japan recorded more than 54,000 new infections on Saturday, the
highest ever, driven by the infectious Omicron variant.
[to top of second column] |
 The northern island Hokkaido
and the western prefecture of Osaka are among
those asking for the curbs. The government will
decide on the expansion swiftly, Chief Cabinet
Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said earlier.
If widened, the curbs would cover 34 of Japan's
47 prefectures, including the capital of Tokyo.
The country has recorded 2.1 million coronavirus
cases and 18,498 deaths during the pandemic.
(Reporting by Rocky Swift; Editing by Tomasz
Janowski)
[© 2022 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content. |
