TOKYO, Feb. 1 (Xinhua) -- Japan will extend its month-long state of emergency over COVID-19 that came into effect early last month for regions where outbreaks of the virus have been rampant including Tokyo and other major urban areas to March 7, local media reported Monday.
Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, who first declared the state of emergency for Tokyo and three surrounding prefectures on Jan. 7 before it being expanded to cover a total of 11 prefectures hard hit by the novel coronavirus, will finalize the extension details after consulting with a panel of experts on Tuesday, informed sources said.
The state of emergency was initially set to end on Feb. 7, but despite a recent dip in the number of new daily cases recently in some major urban areas, including Tokyo, the seven-day average of new cases still remains high and was at about the same level late last week as two days before the state of emergency came into effect for Tokyo and three of its neighboring prefectures, experts have highlighted.
In addition, experts advising the government on its response to the pandemic have highlighted the fact that the average is about three times higher than the peak reached in the second wave of infections that hit last summer.
They also said that while the number of infections in general had been on a downtrend lately, the percentage of elderly people becoming infected had increased sharply.
Japan on Monday reported 1,792 new COVID-19 infections, bringing the nation's total tally of cases to 392,475.
The country's death toll has now risen to a total of 5,846 people, according to the latest statistics Monday evening.
The Tokyo metropolitan government on Monday, for its part, reported 393 new COVID-19 cases in the capital, with the city's cumulative total of infections rising to 100,234.
The daily tally dropped below the 500-mark for the first time since Dec. 28, with the most recent figure below 400 being reported on Dec. 21.
Health officials in the capital of 14 million said 133 hospitalized patients are designated as being in a "serious condition." This is seven less than was reported by the metropolitan government the previous day.
Novel coronavirus-related deaths in the capital have now risen to 894, the health ministry said Monday.
Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato warned however that despite cases in the capital being on a downtrend recently, it was too early for people to lower their guards.
"We should be wary of the declining trend," Kato, the government's top spokesperson said.
"Although new cases have been on a downward trend since last week, we believe that it is still necessary to be vigilant," Kato told a press briefing Monday.
Tokyo, Chiba, Kanagawa and nearby Saitama prefectures, will likely see the emergency period extended Tuesday, as transmission rates remain relatively high, particularly among the elderly, with health care facilities becoming increasingly strained, experts have said.
Kyoto and Hyogo prefectures, in western Japan, will likely be included in the extension, while Fukuoka and Okinawa prefectures may be added to the list amid rising COVID-19 cases there, informed sources said Monday.
Tochigi Prefecture, officials said meanwhile, may be removed from the emergency list, as COVID-19 cases have eased in the area that is also located in the Kanto region, not far from Tokyo.
Yasutoshi Nishimura, the minister in charge of Japan's coronavirus response, said the government will take advise from its panel of experts comprised of senior health specialists and authorities from other fields such as lawyers to inform its decision on the likely extension.
"Looking at the situation from region to region, the number of infections is still high and the medical system continues to be strained," said Shigeru Omi, the head of the government's subcommittee on the pandemic said.
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 8:00 p.m.
Also under the state of emergency, large venues have been asked to cap their audiences.
With Japan having had no way to actually enforce the rules, revisions to existing laws were drawn up to introduce fines for those not adhering to the government's requests. The original revisions included heavier fines and prison sentences for those thwarting hospitalization requests, but these were deemed too harsh and were subsequently scrapped.
Japan's ruling and main opposition parties have agreed that COVID-19 patients who refuse hospitalization could face fines of up to 500,000 yen (4,770 U.S. dollars), while those who do not comply with health officials' surveys could be fined up to 300,000 yen.
Previous plans were to also introduce fines of up to 500,000 yen for businesses that refuse to shorten their opening hours and close earlier under a state of emergency, and up to 300,000 yen for businesses not under a state of emergency but where anti-virus requests have been made by local prefectures.
The fines have now been lowered to 300,000 yen and 200,000 yen respectively.
The lowered fines along with the other revisions to the infectious disease law and the coronavirus special measures law will be enacted by the upper house of parliament on Wednesday after passing the lower house on Monday. (1 Japanese Yen equals 0.0095 U.S. dollar) Enditem
