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More than half of the country now lives under some restrictions.
Japan said on Friday that due to the surge in Covid-19 cases in the capital and across the country, which casts a shadow over the Summer Olympics, Japan will extend its state of emergency to three prefectures near Tokyo, the host city of the Olympics, and western Osaka prefectures.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, Tokyo has entered a fourth state of emergency, with 3,300 new cases every day following a record of 3,865 on Thursday.
Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said at a press conference that the virus is spreading at an unprecedented rate, mainly because of delta mutations, adding that he is worried that the country’s hospital beds may become tense.
“I ask you with a heavy heart: Before we see more impacts of vaccinations, I hope everyone stays vigilant and implements infection prevention measures in full,” he said, calling on people to watch the Olympics at home on TV.
As of mid-week, 64% of Tokyo’s hospital beds that can be used to treat severe Covid-19 cases are full.
The new emergency measures will take effect from August 2 to August 31, while the existing state of emergency in Tokyo and southern Okinawa will be extended to August 31, covering 37% of the country’s population.
Together with the five other counties where Yoshihide Suga declared a “quasi-emergency”, more than half of the country now lives under some restrictions.
Japan’s Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare Tamura said that although the population movement has not increased, the country has entered a “extremely scary” new stage due to the surge in cases.
“I don’t think people can foresee the future and worry about how long this situation will last. They find that they cannot return to normal daily life,” he told the expert group.
Japan has implemented a series of “state of emergency” declarations, but unlike other countries that impose strict blockades, most of these orders are voluntary.
However, many people are tired of the requirement to stay at home, and some bars refuse to comply with service restrictions.
Yoshihide Suga and the Olympic organizers denied any connection between the July 23rd to August 8th Summer Olympics and the recent surge in cases.
Unlike voluntary restrictions and low vaccination rates elsewhere in Japan, the Tokyo Olympic Village provides athletes and coaches with a vaccination rate of over 80%, testing is mandatory, and movement is strictly restricted.
Athletes and other attendees from all over the world must abide by strict regulations to prevent the virus from spreading within the “Olympic Bubble” or to wider cities. Most venues prohibit spectators from entering.
Organizers reported 27 new cases of COVID-19 related to the Olympics on Friday, including three athletes, bringing the total since July 1 to 220.
But experts worry that when less than 30% of Japan’s residents are fully vaccinated, hosting the Olympics will send a confusing message to the public that activities need to be restricted.
The surge in Covid-19 cases is bad news for Suga. His approval rating is already at the lowest level since he took office in September last year, and he will face the ruling party’s leadership campaign and general election later this year.
The Minister of Economy, Yasutoshi Nishimura, who took the lead in responding to Japan’s Covid-19, reiterated that everyone who wants to be vaccinated should be able to get the vaccine before October or November.
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