[Update, April 8] According to Kyodo News, Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike has officially requested the implementation of Covid-19 quasi-emergency measures in the capital. Koike states that she will consult with the central government to see how long the measures should be put in place, however she believes they should cover the upcoming Golden Week holidays.
The Japan Times reports the measures are expected to include asking people to refrain from major travel during Golden Week, as well as ordering restaurants and bars to close at 8pm in highly populated areas. Venues that don't comply can be fined up to ¥200,000. An earlier report by the same paper says the central government could grant the request for quasi-emergency measures as soon as this Friday (April 9).
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[April 7] The state of emergency in the Greater Tokyo region was finally lifted two weeks ago on March 22, however, Covid-19 cases are already on the rise. As reported by The Japan Times, the capital reported a total of 555 new infections on Wednesday April 7, marking the highest daily count since early February.
Due to the spike in cases, Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike has said the metropolitan government is preparing to request for the central government to allow ‘quasi-emergency measures’ to be taken, similar to the ones in place during the recent state of emergency. No other details have been announced so far, including what the quasi-emergency measures would entail.
Tokyo is not the only part of the country dealing with rising cases. Today, Osaka prefecture just declared a medical state of emergency as the city set a record of 878 new cases, while Hyogo prefecture also saw a record high of 328 cases. Osaka, Hyogo and Miyagi prefectures have been subject to quasi-emergency measures since Monday April 5 to deal with the coronavirus resurgence. These extra measures will be in place until May 5.
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
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