Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has decided he will declare a state of emergency in the Tokyo metropolitan area and other areas to deal with the spread of the new coronavirus because he believes that the growing number of people infected with the virus could lead to the collapse of medical services.
Local governments had also requested that a state of emergency be issued.
"The situation is becoming very tense," Economic Revitalization Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura said Sunday on a Fuji TV program.
Nishimura is in charge of the revised law on special measures to deal with a new strain of influenza that allows the government to declare a state of emergency.
"If there is a sign of an 'overshoot' [an explosive surge in the number of infected patients], we will declare a state of emergency without hesitation," he added.
Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike said on an NHK program Sunday that 1,000 beds would be available.
A senior government official said, "There is a growing fear that we cannot keep up with the pace of the growing number [of people infected with the virus]."
If the prime minister declares a state of emergency, it will be easier to secure beds. The move is designed to allow prefectural governors to convert hotels and other buildings into temporary medical facilities or construct prefabricated facilities. Under the state of emergency, these types of buildings are not subject to any restrictions such as the Medical Service Law or the Building Standards Law, so it is possible to accept seriously ill patients immediately and provide them with treatment. If necessary, buildings and land may be used without having to receive consent from the owner.
The government also hopes to provide local governments with time to draw up action plans by announcing in advance that the prime minister will make a declaration. Retailers, such as supermarkets, will also be given time to prepare.
Opinions of local governments and other parties seem to have influenced the decision.
"A number of people go to festivals and other events as there is a limit in asking people to refrain from going out," Koike said on the NHK program Sunday. "A decision as a nation is needed. I'm waiting for the decision."
Osaka Gov. Hirofumi Yoshimura has repeatedly said, "[The government] should declare an emergency in Tokyo and Osaka."
The Japan Medical Association also has said it is time to declare a state of emergency.
Photo:
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe enters the Prime Minister's Office on Saturday.
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