Japan has had about 400 deaths so far nationwide, 100 of them in Tokyo.
People wearing face masks amid concerns over the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus cross the quiet Shibuya crossing in Tokyo (Photo: AFP)
Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike on Wednesday called for an extension of Japan’s nationwide state of emergency, which requests people to stay home and social distance, to stem the spread of the coronavirus outbreak.
Tokyo is still facing a serious situation and so I would like to have it go on longer, the governor told to media.
She noted reported daily cases of COVID-19 in Tokyo have topped 100 people recently.
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Japan has had about 400 deaths so far nationwide, 100 of them in Tokyo.
On April 16, Japan Prime Minster Shinzo Abe decided to expand the state of emergency from just seven of the country’s 47 prefectures, to the whole nation.
The declaration hands regional governors the power to ask residents to stay inside, seek the closure of businesses that attract large crowds and commandeer land and buildings for medical purposes.
Earlier, Japan banned entry to foreigners from 73 countries and asked everyone arriving from abroad to quarantine themselves for two weeks as it struggles to contain the coronavirus.
A nationwide state of emergency being issued would ensure that prefectural governors, across-the board, would be better enabled to authorize measures against the pandemic.
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