Tokyo region’s state of emergency extended again

Tokyo, March 6 : Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga has extended the state of emergency covering the Tokyo metropolitan area by two weeks to March 21 for a second time since January, as Covid-19 infection numbers have continued to increase in the region.
Suga made the decision to extend the state of emergency for Tokyo and the three surrounding prefectures of Kanagawa, Chiba and Saitama at a meeting of the government’s Covid-19 task force on Friday, reports Xinhua news agency.
The Prime Minister said the measure is “necessary to protect lives and livelihoods”.
The Japanese government is scrambling to bring the Covid-19 outbreak under control ahead of the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, set to kick off in less than five months.
Since the state of emergency was declared, people have been more ardently requested to refrain from making unnecessary trips outdoors and to work from home.
Bars and restaurants in particular have also been asked to shorten their operating hours and close their doors by 8 p.m.