Tokyo governor warns of possible lockdown if coronavirus cases surge

The governor of Tokyo Yuriko Koike on March 23 said that the city could go under a complete lockdown if the number of coronavirus cases records a surge in the coming weeks. According to reports, Koike stressed that the coming three weeks would be critical for Tokyo and the measures would depend on whether infections can be contained in the city. Koike also underlined the importance of maintaining social distancing and avoiding large gatherings. 

The governor also raised concerns about the alarm raised by health experts who believe that Tokyo might see a dramatic surge in infections due to people returning from overseas trips and possible clusters forming among residents. Koike said that the government could be forced into lockdown like other major cities around the world if the advisories are not followed properly.

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So far, Tokyo with a population of around 93 lakh people, has logged in 154 coronavirus cases. According to data acquired by worldometer, Japan has so far recorded 1,128 coronavirus cases, of which 235 have recovered fully, while 851 patients are still under observation. According to the data, 42 people have lost their lives in the country so far due to the disease and 49 patients remain under critical condition. 

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Coronavirus outbreak

The COVID-19 has claimed more than 16,500 lives across the world and has infected nearly 3,81,000 people globally since it first broke out in December 2019. China is the most affected country in the world as experts believe that the virus originated from a seafood market in Wuhan city, the epicentre of the disease, where animals were reportedly being traded illegally.  

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Italy, Iran, and Spain are the most affected countries outside mainland China, where, as of March 22 the combined death toll stands at 10,200. Italy has surpassed China to record the most number of deaths in the world due to the virus outbreak, while Iran and Spain both have crossed the 1,500 mark.

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