From the Guardian:
Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe has declared a state of emergency to fight new coronavirus infections in major population centres.
He also unveiled a stimulus package he described as among the world’s biggest to soften the economic blow.
Abe announced the state of emergency targeting the capital Tokyo and six other prefectures – accounting for about 44% of Japan’s population – for a period of about one month.
“We have decided to declare a state of emergency because we’ve judged that a fast spread of the coronavirus nationwide would have an enormous impact on lives and the economy,” he told parliament earlier.
His cabinet will also finalise the stimulus package worth 108 trillion yen ($990 billion) – equal to 20% of Japan’s economic output – to cushion the impact of the epidemic on the world’s third-largest economy.
Coronavirus infections in Tokyo more than doubled to about 1,200 in the past week, with more than 80 new ones reported on Tuesday, accounting for the highest number in the country. Nationwide, cases have climbed past 4,000 with 93 deaths as of Monday.
The emergency gives governors the authority to call on people to stay at home and businesses to close. With no penalties for ignoring the requests in most cases, enforcement will rely more on peer pressure and respect for authority.
Tokyo governor Yuriko Koike said the city was in talks with the central government to decide what types of facilities it would ask to close or curtail business hours, while reiterating there would be no restrictions on buying groceries and medicine.
More details (from yesterday in the lead up to the declaration of emergency) here: Japan poised to declare state of emergency over coronavirus
Feel free to share your thoughts and add updates as this develops.
Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe has declared a state of emergency to fight new coronavirus infections in major population centres.
He also unveiled a stimulus package he described as among the world’s biggest to soften the economic blow.
Abe announced the state of emergency targeting the capital Tokyo and six other prefectures – accounting for about 44% of Japan’s population – for a period of about one month.
“We have decided to declare a state of emergency because we’ve judged that a fast spread of the coronavirus nationwide would have an enormous impact on lives and the economy,” he told parliament earlier.
His cabinet will also finalise the stimulus package worth 108 trillion yen ($990 billion) – equal to 20% of Japan’s economic output – to cushion the impact of the epidemic on the world’s third-largest economy.
Coronavirus infections in Tokyo more than doubled to about 1,200 in the past week, with more than 80 new ones reported on Tuesday, accounting for the highest number in the country. Nationwide, cases have climbed past 4,000 with 93 deaths as of Monday.
The emergency gives governors the authority to call on people to stay at home and businesses to close. With no penalties for ignoring the requests in most cases, enforcement will rely more on peer pressure and respect for authority.
Tokyo governor Yuriko Koike said the city was in talks with the central government to decide what types of facilities it would ask to close or curtail business hours, while reiterating there would be no restrictions on buying groceries and medicine.
More details (from yesterday in the lead up to the declaration of emergency) here: Japan poised to declare state of emergency over coronavirus
Feel free to share your thoughts and add updates as this develops.