Tokyo declares COVID-19 state of emergency but Tokyo Olympics still a go?

Tokyo declares COVID-19 state of emergency but Tokyo Olympics still a go?
Japan's Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga
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Written by Harry Johnson

Japanese capital city goes into this new state of emergency less than three weeks before is is scheduled to host 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.

  • New state of emergency is set to be declared in Tokyo amid a spike in new COVID-19 cases.
  • New state of emergency will be in effect in the Tokyo area from July 12 to August 22.
  • Tokyo reported 920 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, its highest daily total since May 13.

Japan’s Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga announced today that a new state of emergency is set to be declared in Tokyo amid a spike in new COVID-19 cases.

Japanese capital city goes into this new state of emergency less than three weeks before is is scheduled to host 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.

According to the Prime Minister, the new state of emergency will be in effect in the Tokyo area from July 12 to August 22.

Suga said the number of residents in Tokyo infected with coronavirus is on the rise, and the emergency measures โ€“ less strict than a full lockdown โ€“ should help to control the spread of the virus and ease the pressure on capital area hospitals already struggling to provide enough beds.

The PM added that he wouldย โ€œtake all possible measuresโ€ย to prevent the further spread of the virus.

Tokyo reported 920 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, its highest daily total since May 13.

The state of emergency has also been extended to Okinawa Prefecture, while quasi-emergency measures for Osaka, Saitama, Chiba and Kanagawa prefectures will also be extended until August 22.

A formal decision on Tokyoโ€™s state of emergency will be announced on Thursday after a meeting of health experts.

Tokyo is scheduled to host the 2020 Olympic Games from July 23 until August 8 โ€“ a year later than originally planned due to a postponement caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

There has been wide public opposition to the huge sporting event and a domestic campaign for it to be canceled though.

According to some local sources, the Olympics is likely to go ahead without spectators, the Games would be held behind closed doors, although Sugaโ€™s announcement did not confirm this.

2020 Tokyo Olympics organizers have already imposed strict limits on the Games, including banning overseas spectators and limiting the number of fans to 10,000 or half of each venueโ€™s capacity.

About the author

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Harry Johnson

Harry Johnson has been the assignment editor for eTurboNews for mroe than 20 years. He lives in Honolulu, Hawaii, and is originally from Europe. He enjoys writing and covering the news.

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