Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga decided on Friday to expand states of emergency to the Tokyo Metropolitan area and Okinawa on Friday following record-high COVID-19 cases spike in Olympic host Tokyo and around the country.
Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga declared the states of emergency in Saitama, Kanagawa and Chiba, near Tokyo, as well as in the western city of Osaka, effective Monday until Aug. 31.
The new states of emergency will be in effect from Aug. 2 to Aug. 31, while existing states of emergency for Tokyo and southern Okinawa will be extended to Aug. 31.
“Infections are expanding in the Tokyo and western metropolitan areas at an enormous speed that we have never experienced before,” Suga said as he declared the expansion of the state of emergency.
If the spike continues at the current pace with the spread of the more contagious delta variant, Japan’s medical system could collapse, he said.
Tokyo has reported a record increase in cases for three days in a row, including 3,865 on Thursday, before logging another 3,300 on Friday. The cases have doubled since last week, although officials say the surge is unrelated to the Olympics.
(With inputs from agencies)
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