TOKYO – Tokyo's governor Yuriko Koike will urge residents in the Japanese capital to avoid non-essential outings and ask businesses serving alcohol to shut early as the country battles record coronavirus infections, according to national broadcaster NHK.
Japan has seen a comparatively small outbreak of the respiratory disease, with just over 2,000 deaths and 135,400 infections, and it has not imposed the strict lockdowns seen elsewhere.
But it is now battling a third wave, reporting record numbers of daily infections nationwide in recent days.
Neither of the governor's new calls will carry any enforcement mechanism. Even a state of emergency declared in the spring during a spike in infections did not carry punishments for those who defied calls to stay home or close their doors.
Tokyo has already raised its virus alert level to the top of a four-tier scale, and other local media also reported today the expected call from Koike.
Businesses complying will be eligible for compensation. – AFP, November 25, 2020
