Japan is considering declaring a state of emergency after cases of the Covid-19 virus begin to rise across the country.
Fears are also growing over July’s re-scheduled Tokyo Olympics.
Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said vaccine approval was being speeded up and border controls tightened to curb the spread of the coronavirus. Mr Suga also stressed his determination to hold the Olympics, which he said will serve as “proof that people have overcome the coronaivus”, giving “hope and courage” saying preparations were moving ahead.
The state of emergency declaration carries no legal penalties but works as a strong warning for people to work from home, reduce non-essential outings and social distance, as well as having businesses close early, in an effort to curb the spread of Covid-19.
Japan issued an official emergency warning in April last year through late May, urging restaurants to close early and people to work from home. Japan has never had a lockdown, attempting to juggle the need to keep the economy going with health risks.
