January 7, 2021
1 min read

Tokyo enters state of emergency to tackle pandemic

The state of emergency will come into effect on Friday until February 7…reports Asian Lite News

Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga on Thursday declared a state of emergency in the Tokyo metropolitan area, which also included the Saitama, Chiba and Kanagawa prefectures, authorising tougher measures to fight a recent Covid-19 resurgence.

The state of emergency will come into effect on Friday until February 7, Xinhua news agency reported.

The measures will include restaurants and bars having to stop serving alcohol by 7 p.m. and close by 8 p.m.

Gyms, department stores and entertainment facilities will also be subject to shorter operational hours.

As the government has set the goal of reducing the number of people in the office by 70 per cent, it also urged companies to have employees work from home or stagger their shifts.

Meanwhile, events will be capped at 5,000 people or 50 per cent of venue capacity.

A state of emergency was first declared in Tokyo and six other prefectures on April 7, 2020.

It was later expanded to cover the whole country before being lifted in late May.

The new emergency declaration came as Tokyo reported a record 2,447 new Covid-19 cases on Thursday, breaking the previous record of 1,591 infections.

The measures are more relaxed compared to those under the previous state of emergency and there will be no punishment for those that fail to comply.

Since the onset of the pandemic earlier last year, Japan has so far registered more than 260,000 coronavirus cases and 3,609 deaths.

Also read:Japan mulls emergency declaration in Tokyo

Previous Story

Twitter, FB gag Trump

Next Story

Trump finally concedes defeat

Latest from Asia News

Taipei Gets Tough on Beijing

The new move marks one of the most comprehensive efforts in recent years to strengthen Taiwan’s legal defences against Beijing’s covert attempts…reports Asian Lite News Taiwanese lawmakers from both the ruling and

Pakistan Warns Afghanistan War

Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif warned that Islamabad could enter an “open war” with Kabul if peace talks in Istanbul fail to ease rising Afghan border tensions…reports Asian Lite News Pakistan’s Defence

Malaysia Warns ASEAN Neutrality Eroding

Malaysia’s foreign minister warned ASEAN is losing neutrality amid rising global power competition, ahead of the bloc’s annual summit….reports Asian Lite News  Malaysia’s foreign minister has warned Southeast Asian counterparts that the

Trump heads to Asia for Xi talks

The President will also visit Malaysia and Japan on his first trip to Asia since he returned to the White House in January in a blaze of tariffs and international dealmaking…reports Asian

Cambodia, Thailand Seal Peace Deal

The peace accord was signed in the presence of US President Donald Trump…reports Asian Lite News In a landmark moment for Southeast Asian diplomacy, Cambodia and Thailand formally signed a long-awaited peace
Go toTop