Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said he will propose to declare a state of emergency in seven prefectures including Tokyo and Osaka for about a month, after a renewed surge of coronavirus cases in some of the nation’s biggest metropolitan areas.
The move hands powers to local governments to try to contain the spread of the virus that causes Covid-19, including by urging residents to stay at home. Unlike countries like France — where residents can be fined for leaving their homes — there is no legal power to enforce such requests.
Abe also said the ruling party was backing a 108 trillion yen ($988 billion) stimulus package to help people and firms hit by the virus.
An emergency declaration enables local officials to take measures such as ordering the cancellation of events, restricting use of facilities such as schools and movie theaters and appropriating land or buildings for temporary medical facilities. The announcement comes after pressure from the public and the medical community. After last week saying the situation didn’t yet call for such a move, Abe changed course after cases in Tokyo surged over the weekend.
–With assistance from Jon Herskovitz.
