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The media said on Wednesday that the governors of the three prefectures near the Tokyo Olympics site may ask the government to declare a state of emergency in their area after the Covid-19 infection rate in the Japanese capital soared to a record high.
Tokyo recorded 2,848 new coronavirus cases on Tuesday, the highest level since the pandemic began. According to media reports, the authorities have asked hospitals to prepare more beds for patients following a surge in the Delta variant.
Despite the surge in medals for Japanese athletes, many people worry that the influx of athletes and officials may exacerbate this surge. This sharp increase may inhibit the enthusiasm of the Summer Olympics.
16 new Covid cases were reported at the Tokyo Olympics
Organizers of the Tokyo Olympics reported 16 new Olympic-related Covid-19 cases on Wednesday, with a total of 169 cases since July 1. Olympic athletes, staff and media must abide by strict regulations to prevent the spread of the virus, including frequent testing.
A spokesperson for the International Olympic Committee said at a press conference that the measures taken by the organizers should reassure the Japanese public, while the spokesperson for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics expressed pain at the increase in cases in the capital and urged stakeholders to abide by the rules.
The approval rating of Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga before this year’s general election is at the lowest level since he took office in September last year. The surge in Tokyo may cause him trouble.
Suga Yoshihide on Tuesday urged people to stay at home as much as possible and watch the Olympics on TV. He said that canceling the Olympics is not an option.
Japan has avoided devastating epidemics in other countries such as India, Indonesia, and the United States, but the fifth wave of pandemic is putting pressure on hospitals in Tokyo.
“The risk of personal infection is the highest ever. It even affects general medical care, and…the situation is very serious,” Koji Wada -19, a professor at Tokyo International Health and Welfare University and a government COVID consultant, told NHK public television in response.
Tokyo has entered a fourth state of emergency, which will continue until after the Olympics, but unlike many countries that have adopted more stringent measures, these measures mainly focus on requiring restaurants that provide alcohol to be closed by 8 pm and other restaurants.
However, many Japanese are tired of basically voluntary restrictions. Some experts say that the government’s decision to continue hosting the Olympics sends a confusing message that they need to stay home.
Kanagawa, Saitama, and Chiba prefectures near Tokyo are currently under looser “quasi-emergency” restrictions, but the number of infections is also increasing sharply. Many of their residents went to the capital.
According to the Asahi Shimbun, these prefectures may require stricter restrictions to contain the virus, and Chiba will do so as early as Wednesday.
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