Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is set to declare a state of emergency in parts of the country, including Tokyo, over a spike in coronavirus infections.
“I have decided that a situation gravely affecting people’s life and the economy has occurred. This evening, I plan to call a government headquarters meeting and declare a state of emergency,” Abe says.
He announced the plan yesterday, citing “rapid increases of new infections, particularly in urban areas like Tokyo and Osaka.”
A man walks by an electronic stock board of a securities firm in Tokyo, March 30, 2020. (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara)
The declaration is expected to take effect from midnight and will empower governors of seven affected regions to ask people to stay inside and businesses to close their doors.
But it stops far short of the sort of lockdown seen in parts of Europe and the United States, with no enforcement mechanism to keep people inside or shutter business, nor penalties for those who fail to comply.
— AFP
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