Japanese Gov't May Soon Consider Declaring Second COVID-19 Emergency In Osaka - Reports

The Japanese government may soon consider declaring another state of emergency in the Osaka prefecture over a surge in coronavirus cases, NHK reported on Tuesday

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 20th April, 2021) The Japanese government may soon consider declaring another state of emergency in the Osaka prefecture over a surge in coronavirus cases, NHK reported on Tuesday.

On Monday, Osaka Governor Hirofumi Yoshimura talked about asking the government to declare a state of emergency. The official also mentioned his plans to talk to his colleagues in Kyoto and Hyogo to have a joint request.

The issue may be discussed later in the day by Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga and relevant cabinet members, such as Yasutoshi Nishimura, the minister in charge of the country's COVID-19 response, and Health Minister Norihisa Tamura.

In January, the Japanese government imposed a state of emergency in 11 prefectures � Tokyo, Kanagawa, Saitama, Chiba, Tochigi, Aichi, Gifu, Osaka, Kyoto, Fukuoka, and Hyogo � which was then extended until March 7 for all the prefectures except Tochigi. With the epidemiological situation improving, the central government lifted the state of emergency in six prefectures in late February but kept it in place in Tokyo, Saitama, Kanagawa and Chiba until March 21.