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TOKYO – Japan hit a new daily record for Covid-19 cases on Thursday (Nov 12), with at least 1,651 cases nationwide, according to a tally by broadcaster NHK.
Economy Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura, who is in charge of Japan’s coronavirus response, warned of stricter measures if infections continue to rise, putting an strain on medical institutions.
“We are not at a point where a state of emergency should be declared, but we must have the greatest sense of caution,” he warned.
Experts warn that the current increase is particularly concerning, given that socioeconomic activities, for the most part, have returned to the days before Covid-19. In recent days, officials have emphasized the infection risks posed by nomikais, or after-work drinking parties that are common in workplaces or with friends, as well as in closed settings.
Added to these fears is the onset of winter, when people tend to spend more time indoors in heated but poorly ventilated rooms.
In response to the sudden increase, Nishimura said that the capacity limits for large events will remain in place for another three months until the end of February. Japan limits attendance to 10,000 people or 50 percent of a venue’s capacity, whichever is less, although in a test last month, 32,000 baseball fans crowded into a Yokohama stadium for three game days.
The government has also said that the Go To Travel domestic tourism campaign should not become a scapegoat for the spread of Covid-19, despite the rise in asymptomatic cases in popular tourist destinations with large urban populations.
Japan’s worst day in its battle with the coronavirus comes despite having made deals to relax travel restrictions with countries that have largely managed to curb infections, including Singapore, China and South Korea.
Mainland China registered 15 new cases on Wednesday, the national health authority said on Thursday, bringing its total count to 86,299. South Korea added 143 more cases on Thursday, increasing its number of cases to 27,942. The total for Japan was 113,816 cases.
Tokyo recorded 393 cases on Thursday, its highest level since Aug. 8. Infectious disease expert Norio Ohmagari, who is advising Tokyo authorities, warned that this heralds the beginning of a sharp increase in infections.
Osaka recorded 231 infections, on the third consecutive day it has had more than 200 cases. Aichi, where the city of Nagoya is located, had 143 cases, the highest number since August 8.
New daily peaks were recorded in areas like Hokkaido, with most of the 236 cases in Sapporo. Kanagawa, which is part of the Greater Tokyo region, had 147 cases; while Hyogo, where the city of Kobe is located, had 81 cases.
These peaks occur even as Tokyo prepares to host two high-level visitors. The head of the International Olympic Committee, Thomas Bach, will pay a four-day visit from Sunday, while Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison will pay a two-day visit from next Tuesday. Morrison will be the first head of state in Tokyo since the outbreak.
Bach, who will be making his first visit to Tokyo since the decision was made in March to postpone the Games by a year, said discussions about the possibility of a total cancellation of the Games will not be on the table.
A Japanese panel, tasked with analyzing virus prevention measures, said Thursday that it will decide by spring whether to set audience limits at sports venues and even allow foreign spectators to enter the country. However, if they are allowed, they are likely to be exempt from serving a 14-day quarantine.
Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga has asked his cabinet to compile a third supplemental budget for the current fiscal year to fund a new economic stimulus package that will likely include more support for businesses, as well as funding for an extension of the Go To Travel campaign.
Even without the latest spike, the Covid-19 crisis has already led to bankruptcies and suicides across Japan, while pushing unemployment to a three-year high.
“The government must work with all its might to allow social and economic activities, as well as measures to curb the spread of the virus, to continue as we prepare for winter,” Suga said.
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