As Olympics continue, Japan expands state of emergency to 4 more areas

The latest restrictions are imposed when the Japanese capital—Tokyo hosts the Olympics.

Japan Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga declared an emergency in Saitama, Kanagawa and Chiba, near Tokyo, as well as in the western city of Osaka, effective Monday until August 31.

Five areas, including Hokkaido, Kyoto, Hyogo and Fukuoka, will be placed under less-stringent emergency restrictions.

As per the new directives, emergency measures already in place in Tokyo and the southern island of Okinawa will be extended until the end of August, after the Olympics and well into the Paralympics which start August 24.

The increase in cases in Tokyo despite more than two weeks of emergency measures is hovering doubts that they can successfully slow infections.

Tokyo has reported a record increase in cases for three days in a row, including 3,865 on Thursday, before logging another 3,300 on Friday.

The cases have doubled since last week, although officials say the surge is unrelated to the Olympics.

Japan has kept its cases and deaths lower than many other countries, but its seven-day rolling average is growing and now stands at 28 per 100,000 people nationwide and 88 per 100,000 in Tokyo, according to the Health Ministry.

Nationwide, Japan reported 10,687 cases Thursday, exceeding 10,000 for the first time.

It has recorded 15,166 fatalities from COVID-19, including 2,288 in Tokyo since the pandemic began.

As of Thursday, 27 per cent of the Japanese population has been fully vaccinated.

The percentage of the elderly who are fully vaccinated is 71.5 per cent.