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The state of emergency in Tokyo and other regions has been extended for another 20 days before the Olympics.
Japan has extended the coronavirus emergency in Tokyo and other regions by 20 days, and the number of infections has not slowed down as it prepares to host the Olympic Games in more than 50 days.
In announcing the decision on Friday, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said that the number of cases is still high and that the medical system in Osaka, the hardest-hit area in western Japan, is still overburdened.
“I know that many people have expressed concerns about hosting the Olympic and Paralympic Games,” he said. “I take them seriously, and I will continue to prepare for a safe and reliable Olympic Games.”
He said that the next three weeks are “an extremely important moment for us to achieve results,” in a two-pronged battle to control infection while expanding vaccination.
The current state of emergency in the capital and eight other metropolitan areas will end next Monday, but hospitals in certain areas are still crowded with COVID-19 patients, and severe cases have recently hit a new high.
The 20-day extension covers nine regions from Hokkaido to Fukuoka in the south. The 10th district in the southern island of Okinawa Prefecture has entered a state of emergency until June 20.
After overseas spectators were banned a few months ago, Olympic organizers had to decide at that time whether to allow any fans to enter the stadium. According to media reports, a plan to give priority to Japanese athletes to vaccinate is expected to begin at that time.
No audience?
The Olympics was originally scheduled to open on July 23 after a year of postponement due to the pandemic. Concerns about new variants and slow vaccination in Japan have triggered calls from the public, medical experts and even sponsors to cancel the Olympics.
On Thursday, Naoto Ueyama, the chairman of the Japan Junior Doctors Union, warned that the Olympic Games may produce a “tokyo Olympic strain” of the coronavirus, and urged the cancellation of the Olympics to prevent “disaster.”
Haruo Nagazaki, a large Tokyo Medical Association with more than 20,000 members, said that organizers must ban all audiences “at a minimum.”
Even in the current state of emergency, Japanese stadiums can hold 5,000 spectators or 50% of their capacity, whichever is the smallest.
Yoshihide Suga’s public approval rate dropped from about 70% when he took office in September to about 30%.
Experts warn that the variant is infecting more people, making them seriously ill and flooding hospitals in certain areas.
Due to bureaucracy, planning errors, and a shortage of medical staff, Japan is lagging behind in vaccination.
Only 2.3% of the population has been fully vaccinated, and the current phase for the elderly will not be completed before the start of the Olympic Games.
Nevertheless, Yoshihide Suga and his government are determined to host the Olympics. The International Olympic Committee also stated that even if the host city Tokyo is taking emergency measures, the Olympic Games will continue.
Officials have been working hard to convey the message that the Olympics will be safe, and it was recently announced that the vast majority of people in the Olympic Village will be vaccinated.
Although the votes and warnings for the Olympics were negative, protests against the event often attracted only a few dozen people.
The government has been working hard to speed up the vaccination rate, with the goal of vaccinating as many as 1 million cases per day, but some experts say this is an overly optimistic goal.
Japan has reported approximately 739,000 coronavirus cases and more than 12,700 deaths.
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