Tokyo May Ask Japanese Government To Extend COVID-19 Emergency - Governor

Muhammad Irfan Published May 26, 2021 | 12:29 PM

The Tokyo authorities may ask the central government to extend the current state of emergency due to persistently high COVID-19 incidence, Governor Yuriko Koike said on Wednesday

TOKYO (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 26th May, 2021) The Tokyo authorities may ask the central government to extend the current state of emergency due to persistently high COVID-19 incidence, Governor Yuriko Koike said on Wednesday.

Ten out of 47 Japanese prefectures are under the state of emergency at the moment, including Tokyo, where it was imposed in late April and then extended until May 31. The prefectures of Fukuoka and Hiroshima have already asked the government for an extension, Osaka has decided to follow suit, and Kyoto and Hyogo are also considering it.

"The situation has not yet returned to normal. We also need to take into account the time necessary for vaccination [results to emerge]. We are analyzing all of that and will decide on making a request to the government," Koike said, as quoted by NHK.

Despite a recent decline in Tokyo's COVID-19 cases, the overall incidence remains high, with the daily average of 600 cases in the last seven days. Experts are concerned that lifting the state of emergency may cause the incidence to spike.