Japan Plans To Extend COVID-19 Restrictions In Tokyo And Osaka Until September 30

Illustration of the atmosphere of COVID-19 restrictions in Japan. (Wikimedia Commons/Nesnad)

JAKARTA - The Japanese government announced on Thursday that it plans to extend the COVID-19 emergency restrictions in Tokyo and other regions, in an effort to curb infections, prevent hospitals from stressing out cases of infection, saying it was too early to lower their vigilance.

Japan has been battling a fifth wave of the coronavirus, with last month extending its long-term restrictions until September 12, covering about 80 percent of its total population.

However, the number of severe cases and the stress on the medical system have not eased enough in Tokyo and beyond, to allow restrictions to be lifted or simply relaxed.

The Japanese government is known to be trying to extend restrictions until September 30, including for the capital Tokyo and Osaka, Economy Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura told a government meeting.

"We need to strengthen the medical system by reducing infections," Nishimura said. However, the extension plan must be ratified by a panel of experts and others.

Some indications of improving conditions in Japan are starting to appear, according to Nishimura, with two of the 21 prefectures set to move from a state of emergency to lower restrictions. Meanwhile, a number of other prefectures will remove all restrictions.

An official decision will be made on Thursday and announced by Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga at a press conference.

Separately, the Nikkei Daily reported that the government is moving towards easing international entry restrictions, by reducing the amount of time it takes for people returning from overseas to be quarantined, from 14 days to 10 days if they can prove they have received a government-approved COVID-19 vaccine. Japan.

Local media said other measures, such as allowing restaurants to extend their opening hours and easing restrictions on alcohol sales, could be introduced as the number of vaccinations in the country rises.

"I'm sure we're starting to see results, but it's too early to let our guard down," Health Minister Norihisa Tamura told the meeting.

Please note, Japan's COVID-19 vaccination program is slower than many other countries. However, currently around half of the total population has received the full two-dose COVID-10 vaccine.

Yesterday, Tokyo recorded 1,834 new daily cases of coronavirus infection. Meanwhile, the total Sakura country reported around 1.6 million cases of infection and 16,436 deaths due to COVID-19.