Japan declares state of emergency
Japan has reported 91 deaths from Covid-19 and 3,906 confirmed cases, plus 712 from a cruise ship.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has declared a state of emergency in the capital Tokyo, as well as Osaka and five other prefectures, to combat the coronavirus pandemic.
Japan has faced a fresh wave of coronavirus infections, and medical staff said that a shortage of beds and a rise in cases linked to hospitals were pushing Tokyo’s medical system to the brink of collapse.
The move came in the form of a stay-at-home request — not an order — and violators will not be penalised.
“The most important thing is for each one of us to change our activity,” Mr Abe told a government task force. He urged everyone to cut contacts with others by 70-80 per cent for one month.
By Monday there were 1,116 confirmed cases in the metropolitan region of 14 million people. Nationwide, Japan has reported 91 deaths from Covid-19 and 3,906 confirmed cases, plus another 712 from a cruise ship that was quarantined earlier at Yokohama port near Tokyo.