With infections still high, restrictions in nine prefectures will remain in place until at least June 20, casting more doubt on the start of the Summer Games in Tokyo.
The Japanese government on Friday extended a state of emergency in Tokyo and eight other prefectures until at least June 20, barely one month before the city is scheduled to host the Olympic Games. Although new coronavirus infections are declining, Japan is still recording more than 4,200 cases a day during a prolonged fourth wave that has strained medical systems in many cities. Officials said that it was necessary to continue restrictions on businesses that were enacted in April until the caseload drops further. “The newly reported cases are on a downward trend, but they are still at a high level,” Yasutoshi Nishimura, a government minister who leads Japan’s Covid-19 response, said on Friday.
