The Prime Minister of Japan, Shinzo Abe, said that a state of emergency is not an option yet. (Image via Republika)

Japan sees COVID-19 surge in Tokyo

Alfonsus Adi Putra
Politics & Economic
News Flash Japan
Mar 27, 2020
2129
Even though Japan has managed to contain the mass outbreak of the novel coronavirus, at least better than Europe and North America, the Prime Minister of Japan, Shinzo Abe, saw a surge of positive cases in Tokyo, referring to it as a national crisis. Therefore, Abe had to take urgent, new steps.

Reporting 47 new positive cases in Tokyo, Abe banned entry from 21 European countries and Iran. Moreover, in order to overcome the COVID-19, Abe also set up a new crisis task force under the recently revised law. Despite the Japanese government denies to declare a state of emergency, the step was seen as a prelude to it.

Under the recently revised law in March, Abe has the power to declare a state of emergency if COVID-19 starts to pose a “grave danger” to the Japanese lives and the infection threatens the Japanese economy.

The daily total of new cases in Tokyo had nearly tripled over the past four days. Meeting Abe on Thursday evening, Governor of Tokyo, Yuriko Koike, said that she requested support and Tokyo will cooperate with the central government should a state of emergency be announced.

Koike also requested Tokyo’s neighboring prefectures to refrain from mass gatherings or non-essential travels to Tokyo.

The Japanese authorities only fear that the surge of infection cases without a certain source of infection could lead to a bigger, worse new wave of COVID-19 in the nation.

Per Thursday evening, Japan had recorded 1,369 domestic cases, including 712 from the quarantined Diamond Princess cruise.

Let alone the virus, the condition of the Japanese economy was already bleak prior to the virus. On Thursday, the Japanese government showed the bleakest assessment of the Japanese economy in nearly seven years. Its shares slumped on Thursday, following the surge of domestic COVID-19 cases.

Many places, points of mass gatherings such as department stores and cinemas, had to close to prevent any further outbreak of the COVID-19.

Source: https://bit.ly/2yfDLBb

Politics , Regulation , Lockdown , Medical , Health , Emergency , Pandemic , COVID-19 , Asia , Japan , Shinzo-Abe