Prime Minister of Japan Yoshihide Suga is expected to announce that the state of emergency enacted in Tokyo and other regions with high Covid-19 cases will extend until March on Tuesday. Mr. Suga is seeking to maintain the upper hand over another Covid-19 outbreak even as daily case numbers continue to decline. The decision to extend the state of emergency was made following a recommendation from an expert Covid-19 response panel, according to Suga.
Although the number of cases is falling, caution is still required, according to Mr. Suga’s chief cabinet secretary, Katsunobu Kato. Kato stated that hospitals remain at capacity and that the death rate remains stable. Japan has reported a total of 392,000 Covid-19 cases and 5,800 deaths. Tokyo alone reported 556 new cases on Tuesday. Despite the concern over Covid-19 outbreaks, Japan is determined to host the delayed 2020 Summer Olympics in July and August.
Read More: Japan set to extend state of emergency for another month
