Emergency-level priority measures are likely to be extended for a month from the scheduled end of July 11 for Tokyo and the neighboring prefectures of Chiba, Kanagawa and Saitama.
The central government is expected to make a formal decision on the priority measures aimed at preventing the spread of the novel coronavirus as early as Thursday based on the opinion of experts.
Okinawa Prefecture, the only area currently under a state of emergency, is expected to be shifted to priority measures after the emergency state ends on July 11, as the infection situation has not sufficiently improved.
The priority measures for Osaka, Fukuoka, Aichi, Hokkaido, Hyogo and Kyoto prefectures, where the infection situation is stable, are likely to end on the same day.
The number of newly confirmed daily infections in Tokyo has reached Stage 4, the most serious alert level. In neighboring prefectures such as Saitama, the number of people infected with the virus has also been increasing.
As of July 1, the hospital bed occupancy rate was 30% in Chiba Prefecture, 25% in Tokyo, and 23% in Kanagawa Prefecture, all at Stage 3, which is between 20-50%.
After the government decides to extend the priority measures, the plan is to strengthen measures to prevent infection during eating and drinking, so temporarily not allowing restaurants and other establishments to serve alcohol is being considered. Currently, alcoholic beverages are allowed to be served until 7 p.m. in areas under the priority measures.
The one-month extension means the priority measures will last throughout the Tokyo Olympics, the opening ceremony of which is on July 23 and the closing ceremony on Aug. 8.
In areas under the priority measures, the number of visitors to large-scale events is limited to 5,000 or less. The Tokyo Organizing Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games and other organizations have set the maximum number of spectators at venues for the Tokyo Olympics at 10,000 or less, in anticipation of the lifting of the priority measures.
The organizing committee is expected to hold a meeting of five parties, including the central government and the International Olympic Committee, as early as Thursday, after the decision is made to extend the priority measures.
It is likely that the number of spectators at venues for the Tokyo Olympics will be limited to 5,000, and some sports will not have any spectators.
The opening ceremony on July 23 at the National Stadium is also expected to be held without spectators.
If the infection situation worsens even after the extension of the priority measures, the government is ready to declare a fourth pandemic-related state of emergency.
Read more from The Japan News at https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/
