Japan has extended a coronavirus state of emergency in Tokyo and other areas for 20 more days, with infections still not slowing as it prepares to host the Olympics in just over 50 days.
Cases remain high and medical systems in Osaka, the hardest-hit area in western Japan, are still overburdened, Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said in announcing the decision on Friday.
“I am aware that many people are voicing concern about holding the Olympics and Paralympics,” he said. “I take them seriously, and I will proceed with preparations for a safe and secure Games.”
He said the next three weeks are “an extremely important time for us to achieve results” in a two-pronged battle to control infections while expanding vaccinations.
The Prime Minister spoke to the press regarding considering an extension of the declaration of a state of emergency and other matters.https://t.co/TTS56J1Fl1#PMinAction (May 27) pic.twitter.com/UZTm1wUtQ5
— PM’s Office of Japan (@JPN_PMO) May 28, 2021
The current state of emergency in the capital and eight other metropolitan areas was to end next Monday, but hospitals in some areas are still overflowing with COVID-19 patients and serious cases have recently hit new highs.
The 20-day extension covers nine areas ranging from Hokkaido in the north to Fukuoka in the south. A 10th area, the southern island prefecture of Okinawa, is already under emergency status through June 20.
Olympic organisers must decide at about that time whether to allow any fans at all, after overseas spectators were banned months ago. A plan to prioritise vaccinations for Japanese athletes is expected to begin around then, according to media reports.
The Olympics are scheduled to start July 23 after a one-year postponement due to the pandemic, and worries about new variants and Japan’s slow vaccination rollout have triggered calls from the public, medical experts and even a sponsor to cancel the games.
On Thursday, Naoto Ueyama, chair of the minor Japan Doctors Union, warned the Games could produce a “Tokyo Olympic strain” of coronavirus and urged a cancellation to prevent a “disaster”.
Law Student, School of Law, Quaid-I-Azam University, Islamabad