Japan on Thursday extended by three weeks until March 6, a COVID-19 quasi-state of emergency covering Tokyo and 12 prefectures as the nation scrambles to rein in infections caused by the highly contagious Omicron variant.

The government also decided to add Kochi in western Japan, effective Saturday until March 6, to the quasi-emergency list, meaning that the measure will be in effect in 36 of the nation's 47 prefectures, amid growing worries about an additional strain on the health care system.

 

It is unclear whether the measure for the other 22 areas, ending later this month, will be extended.

"We have to remain vigilant against the risk that (a further rise in infections) will make it difficult to maintain social and economic activities," Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told a government task force meeting, where he announced the extension and the addition of Kochi.

"As has been pointed out by experts, we may see more people developing severe symptoms," Kishida said.

The areas that will have the quasi-emergency measure extended beyond Sunday are Tokyo and the three neighboring prefectures of Saitama, Chiba and Kanagawa, along with Gunma, Niigata, Gifu, Aichi, Mie, Kagawa, Nagasaki, Kumamoto and Miyazaki.

The extension is based on requests by the prefectural governments. Under the quasi-state of emergency, governors can ask restaurants and bars to shorten business hours and stop or limit the serving of alcohol. They can also request that people refrain from nonessential travel between prefectures.

Economic revitalization minister Daishiro Yamagiwa, who is responsible for the Japanese government's COVID-19 response, speaks to reporters in Tokyo on Feb. 10, 2022. (Kyodo)

"We need to continue with our efforts to reduce the burden on the health care system," economic revitalization minister Daishiro Yamagiwa, who is responsible for the government's COVID-19 response, told an advisory panel that endorsed the extension earlier in the day.

Japan on Thursday confirmed 164 COVID-linked deaths, a record-high for the third straight day, while the daily count of new infections came to 99,694.

Tokyo reported 18,891 newly confirmed cases, down 1,788 from a week earlier, marking the second straight day of week-on-week decline.

Kishida has said the increase in new cases has been "clearly slowing," but health experts say the latest wave of infections has yet to peak, complicating efforts by the government to contain the spread of the virus and keep the economy going at the same time.

The government plans to set up temporary medical facilities to add a combined 1,000 beds in Tokyo and Osaka and help them to secure medical staff.

The quasi-emergency for the Kansai region, covering Osaka, Kyoto and Hyogo, is set to end on Feb. 20. Wakayama is the only one among the 22 prefectures where the measure will end a week later.

Osaka Gov. Hirofumi Yoshimura told reporters that he will decide whether to seek an extension or a full-on state of emergency around Monday. Kyoto Gov. Takatoshi Nishiwaki separately expressed his hope that the quasi-emergency will be extended.

Kishida is seeking to rev up inoculations, setting a target of administering 1 million booster shots a day by the end of February. Opposition lawmakers have criticized the government for being slow in the booster rollout.

Takaji Wakita, an expert who sits on a health ministry advisory panel, has said more time is required to see whether the daily count of COVID-19 cases will enter a downtrend.

Wakita told reporters on Wednesday that the BA.2 Omicron subvariant, which is believed to be more transmissible than the original strain, is "not dominant" in Japan at the moment, though health experts worry about a further surge in infections if it spreads.


Related coverage:

U.S., European business leaders urge Japan to end COVID entry ban

Japanese princess suffers pneumonia after coronavirus infection

Tokyo, others ask to extend COVID quasi-emergency as Omicron rages