Japan declares COVID-19 state of emergency

With the Olympics just a few months away, Tokyo and surrounding areas are under tight new pandemic restrictions. Prime Minister Yoshide Suga said the state of emergency from April 25 through May 11 is meant to prevent further spread of COVID-19 during the country’s “Golden Week” holidays. Many businesses and public areas will have to close or shorten their hours. It’s Japan’s third emergency declaration since the pandemic began.

How bad are things? Hirofumi Yoshimura, the governor of Osaka, asked for the state of emergency because he said the looser restrictions weren’t stopping infections from climbing and hospitals were filling up. The country is also behind schedule on its vaccination campaign: Suga said all senior citizens can receive a shot by the end of July, but most of the population likely won’t be able to get one before the Olympics start on July 23. The prime minister said Japan must host the games now that the International Olympic Committee has decided to move forward.

Dig deeper: Read Onize Ohikere’s report in World Tour about Japan’s increase in suicides during the COVID-19 pandemic.