The government is considering the addition of Osaka, Kyoto and Hyogo prefectures under its declaration of a state of emergency as early as on Wednesday, The Yomiuri Shimbun learned on Monday.
A declaration of this kind is already in effect in Tokyo and neighboring Saitama, Chiba and Kanagawa prefectures.
Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga on Monday met with Yasutoshi Nishimura, the minister in charge of the government's COVID-19 response, Health, Labor and Welfare Minister Norihisa Tamura and Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato at the prime minister's official residence.
At the meeting, Suga confirmed the state of infection within the three Kansai prefectures and the necessity of issuing a state of emergency was discussed. A senior government official suggested declaring a state of emergency, saying, "The state of emergency is necessary to make the countermeasures for the three prefectures effective."
On Saturday, the three governors of the Kansai prefectures met with Nishimura, who also serves as economic revitalization minister, and requested an emergency declaration. The government plans to make an official decision after hearing the opinions of the government's committee of experts on basic action policy.
The state of infection in the three prefectures is becoming more serious. Osaka confirmed a record-high 654 cases of the novel coronavirus on Friday, surpassing 500 new cases for five straight days on Sunday. As of Sunday, the occupancy rate of hospital beds for critically ill patients had reached 72.5%. The Hyogo prefectural government also confirmed a record 324 coronavirus cases on Saturday.
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