Japan: Restrictions tightened to tackle surge in COVID-19 cases ahead of Tokyo Olympics

Japan has now enforced tougher measures against the Coronavirus in six prefectures amid a surge in infections ahead of the Summer Olympics. It has extended a state of emergency from six areas to a total of nine as Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga reiterated his will to host the 2021 Tokyo Olympics in just over two months. According to the reports by Kyodo News, Hokkaido, Okayama and Hiroshima joined Tokyo and five other prefectures, which have already been placed under a state of emergency till May 31, while a quasi-emergency currently covering seven prefectures was expanded to Gunma, Ishikawa and Kumamoto until June 13.

As a part of the new orders, bars, karaoke parlors and most entertainment facilities are required to close in Hokkaido, Hiroshima and Okayama. Business owners who comply will be compensated and those who do not, will face fines. The new lockdown would stay in place till May 31 following which Suga is scheduled to have a meeting to decide the country’s future course of action.

Tokyo will be hosting the Olympics beginning from July 23. There are concerns over the spread of more infectious coronavirus variants and the vaccine rollout in the country. Almost half of Japan's 47 prefectures have reached Stage 4, which is the worst level on the government's four-point scale, for the volume of weekly infection cases per 100,000 people, reports Kyodo news. 

Botched up vaccination program

The Suga Administration has been criticized for botching the vaccination program with bureaucratic manoeuvring. With the dates of Olympic 2021 nearing, the administration recently stepped up efforts to accelerate the vaccination process. According to Bloomberg, the administration has announced new efforts to channel more resources to rollout while also asking the physicians’ association to increase the number of doctors who can administer vaccines. Earlier this week, the administration, in a first, asked the country's military to set up a vaccination centre in the country capital Tokyo.

(Image Credits: AP)