Over 3,500 people have tested positive for Covid-19 in Japan and 85 have died so far, and the numbers have been rising with particular alarm over the spread in Tokyo, which has more than 1,000 cases, including 83 new ones on Monday.

With the pandemic situation getting worse, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced that Japan’s government will declare a state of emergency in Tokyo and six other prefectures as early as Tuesday in a bid to stop the spread of coronavirus.

An emergency, which Abe said would last about a month, will give governors authority to call on people to stay at home and businesses to close, but not to order the kind of lockdowns seen in other countries. In most cases, there are no penalties for ignoring requests.

Pressure had been mounting on the government to take the step, although Abe has voiced concern about being too hasty, given the restrictions on movement and business that would ensue. A stimulus package worth hundreds of billions of dollars is due to be rolled out this week.

WHAT TO TAKE AWAY FROM THIS ARTICLE:

With the pandemic situation getting worse, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced that Japan’s government will declare a state of emergency in Tokyo and six other prefectures as early as Tuesday in a bid to stop the spread of coronavirus.
An emergency, which Abe said would last about a month, will give governors authority to call on people to stay at home and businesses to close, but not to order the kind of lockdowns seen in other countries.
Over 3,500 people have tested positive for Covid-19 in Japan and 85 have died so far, and the numbers have been rising with particular alarm over the spread in Tokyo, which has more than 1,000 cases, including 83 new ones on Monday.