[ad_1]
TOKYO: Tokyo reported more than 1,000 new COVID-19 infections on Thursday (December 31), a new record, as local and government officials warned that a state of emergency might be necessary to address the increasing cases.
Japan’s Jiji news agency reported that Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga had called emergency talks with ministers about the virus situation on Thursday afternoon.
“We are still compiling accurate figures today. I have been informed that it will be above 1,000 and will reach around 1,300,” Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike told reporters.
“For the coronavirus there is no end of the year or a new year holiday. In this winter season we are seeing the spread of the coronavirus and it is a very serious situation,” he warned.
READ: Heavy snowfall and COVID-19 enshrined New Years celebrations in Japan
Japan has experienced a comparatively limited outbreak compared to some parts of the world, with fewer than 3,500 deaths since it recorded its first case of the virus in January.
It has also avoided the harsh closure measures used in some countries, although the government imposed a “state of emergency” in the spring, asking companies to close and asking people to stay home.
That measure did not carry a penalty for non-compliance and was lifted after several weeks when the cases decreased.
Infections remained low over the summer, but a surge in recent weeks has alarmed medical officials and professionals, prompting calls for a new state of emergency, which the government has been reluctant to implement for fear of economic consequences. .
If cases continue to rise, the city may “have no choice but to ask” the central government to implement a new state of emergency, Koike warned Wednesday.
Yasutoshi Nishimura, the minister in charge of the coronavirus response, also warned on Wednesday that a state of emergency would be needed to “protect the lives of the Japanese” if infections continue to rise.
“The medical system will not be able to survive,” he said in a video message.
Suga, who took office this fall after Shinzo Abe’s resignation, has been criticized for his government’s response to the third wave of infections, including endorsing a controversial program promoting domestic travel.
READ: Tokyo governor warns of possible ‘explosion’ in COVID-19 cases
The program was suspended during the new year, when many Japanese travel to visit relatives, and government officials have urged people to stay home to help suppress the new wave.
Medical professionals have been warning for weeks that the country’s healthcare system is overloaded. Earlier this week, the country’s former Transportation Minister Yuichiro Hata became the first high-ranking politician to die after contracting the virus.
CHECK THIS: Our comprehensive coverage of the coronavirus outbreak and its developments
Download our app or subscribe to our Telegram channel for the latest updates on the coronavirus outbreak: https://cna.asia/telegram
