Japan Recommends Extending Virus Emergency for Tokyo Region

(Bloomberg) -- The Japanese government recommended extending by two weeks its virus state of emergency for the Tokyo region set to expire Sunday, trying to maintain a declining trend in infections as it looks to host the Olympics in about four months.

The move was announced early Friday by the government’s point man for virus management, Economy Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura. It came after Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga strongly indicated Wednesday that he was aiming to extend the nearly two-month measure, saying it was “an extremely important time for preventing infections.”

Nishimura said the extension for Tokyo and three adjacent prefectures will help to deal with mutant strains and prevent a fresh wave of infections from emerging. He also said strains on the medical system were a reason for the extension.

The formal decision was likely to be announced later Friday by Suga at a meeting of the government’s Covid-19 task force. The prime minister will have a news conference at 9 p.m. to discuss the matter, his office said.

Under the emergency, local governments have instructed bars and restaurants to close at 8 p.m., and advised people to avoid going out unnecessarily. The measures, while limited, have helped much of the country bring infections under control, but have proved damaging for many retail and restaurant businesses.

Suga has tried to move the economy forward while keeping cases in check to appease a public that opinion surveys show sees him as being slow in imposing measures to stem infections. He has also seen his support rate fall among many who have seen him putting the economy ahead of public health concerns.

Suppressing activity for a little longer won’t add too much extra damage to an economy already showing some signs of recovery, even under existing restrictions, economists said. At the same time, ensuring there is no rebound in virus infections will help maintain the case for staging the Olympics set to start in July, they added.

Suga imposed a state of emergency for Tokyo and three surrounding prefectures in early January as cases hit a record high of 2,520 in the capital on Jan. 7. Cases have dropped in Tokyo since then -- falling to 121 on March 1, the lowest since November. The seven-day average of new infections in Tokyo was at 269 on Thursday, well below a 500 threshold cited by the government as one of several requirements for lifting the emergency.

At its peak, the state of emergency this year extended to 11 regions that included all of Japan’s major metro areas and accounted for about 60% of the economy. Only Tokyo and the three surrounding prefectures remain in a virus emergency.

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