Prognosis
What Does Tokyo’s Second State of Emergency Mean?
- Virus emergency covers capital and surrounding areas
- Government seeks to reverse trend of increasing infections
Visitors walk on a flight of stairs near the Kanda Myojin shrine on the first business day of the year in Tokyo, on Jan. 4..
Photographer: Soichiro Koriyama/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga declared a state of emergency in Tokyo and surrounding areas, as Covid-19 infections and the number of people in serious condition reach record levels.
The measure was imposed in the capital and three adjoining prefectures, running from Jan. 8 to Feb. 7, but can be lifted if infections fall below criteria laid out by the government. On the other hand, it could be expanded to cover more of the country if infections worsen, with areas including Osaka also experiencing a surge.