Japan’s PM set to declare emergency as coronavirus cases surge: Reports

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is set to declare a state of emergency as the country witnessed a sudden spike in the coronavirus cases over the weekend. According to local media reports, Abe can announce the plan as soon as Monday, April 6, followed by a formal declaration the next day.

Japan has reported 85 deaths due to the virus so far and the Japanese Prime Minister has been facing criticism for not declaring emergency even after the second wave of the epidemic. Abe has been adamant against declaring a state of emergency but the single-day surge of 515 confirmed coronavirus cases on April 5 could act as the final push.

On March 13, the Japanese Parliament approved a bill to give Prime Minister Shinzo Abe emergency powers to take drastic measures in the wake coronavirus crisis. The amended bill has enabled Japan’s PM to order closures of schools and cancel large gatherings to contain and mitigate the risk of COVID-19.

Read: Coronavirus: Japan's PM Faces Backlash For Not Declaring State Of Emergency

Acknowledged the surge

Last week, Abe held a meeting of the novel coronavirus response where he admitted that the number of new cases, particularly in urban areas, is increasing. However, he highlighted that the rate has been comparatively low with respect to some other countries experiencing an explosive surge in cases.

“Citizens should refrain from going to visit downtown districts during night time, including to bars, night clubs, karaoke venues, and live music clubs,” said Japanese PM.

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Abe has made a public appeal to avoid closed spaces with poor ventilation, crowded places with many people nearby, and close-contact settings such as close-range conversations. Another important decision by Japan to contain the spread was to further strengthen border controls, due to “explosive spread of infections seen in countries overseas, primarily in Europe and the United States”. 

According to the latest report, over 1.2 million coronavirus cases have been confirmed worldwide with nearly 70,000 deaths, overwhelming the health care facilities across the globe. The United States, Italy, and Spain are the worst-hit countries due to the pandemic with over 50 per cent of death toll reported from these three countries alone.

Read: Japan On 'verge Of Crisis' As Tokyo Reports Its Highest Jump In Coronavirus Cases

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