COVID-19 cases in Japan's Osaka hit record for 2nd straight day as expert warns of "fourth wave"

Source: Xinhua| 2021-04-14 23:36:03|Editor: huaxia

TOKYO, April 14 (Xinhua) -- Japan's western prefecture of Osaka on Wednesday saw a record high of daily COVID-19 infections for the second straight day, logging 1,130 new virus cases.

A total of 4,312 new cases were reported nationwide, marking the highest number of daily cases since Jan. 23, with new infections in Tokyo reaching 591, according to the health ministry and local officials.

Osaka Governor Hirofumi Yoshimura has said he might ask the central government to declare a third state of emergency. He said a day earlier that he could request the government to grant Osaka a prefecture-specific state of emergency to allow him more powers to combat the surging cases.

"I have a strong sense of crisis. A request for large-scale business suspensions would be necessary if effects of the current measures under the quasi-state of emergency are proven unproductive next week," Yoshimura told a press briefing on the matter.

The western prefecture is also struggling to contend with the spread of the highly transmissible virus variants, along with Tokyo, infectious diseases experts said.

Such is the severity of Japan's rebounding COVID-19 infections that the head of the government's COVID-19 panel warned that Japan has entered a "fourth wave" of infections.

Shigeru Omi, an expert in infectious diseases who heads the government's COVID-19 subcommittee, told a parliamentary session Wednesday that the central government should broader the areas currently subjected to stricter antiviral measures under a revised law.

Omi said the expansion should be undertaken by the government "in an extremely swift and nimble manner," although Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said the situation did not warrant such drastic intervention.

"I don't see a big wave of infections nationwide," the Japanese leader said.

But Omi said separately that in terms of Osaka, a state of emergency declaration should be considered as being issued.

"It is necessary to fully consider the possibility of issuing a state of emergency in Osaka, which entails stronger anti-virus measures such as closure of eateries and heavier punishments for noncompliance compared with the quasi-emergency," Omi said.

More than 90 percent of beds in the prefecture available for COVID-19 patients suffering from serious symptoms are occupied as the prefecture is on the brink of breaking point, sources close to the matter said recently.

On Monday, Tokyo, Kyoto and Okinawa prefectures were added to the list of regions where tougher virus measures have come into effect under a new law that falls short of declaring a state of emergency, but allows prefectural governors to request bars and restaurants to shorten their business hours and impose fines for non-compliance.

For Kyoto and Okinawa, the stricter measures will remain in place until May 5. Tokyo will see the tougher measures last through May 11.

Large venue arenas in the affected prefectures have also had their capacities capped at 5,000 spectators, under the tougher restrictions that also include the western prefectures of Osaka and Hyogo, as well as Miyagi in Japan's northeast.

Along with eyeing the central prefecture of Aichi for the stricter restrictions, Tokyo's surrounding prefectures of Kanagawa, Chiba and Saitama are once again being considered for the tougher measures that could also see travel during the upcoming string of Golden Week national holidays highly dissuaded.

Suga said that a decision on the matter could be made this week, although his upcoming trip to the United States to meet U.S. President Joe Biden could see the decision delayed.

The tougher measures have been implemented in the affected prefectures based on a revised law enabling the central government to declare a situation that falls short of a state of emergency in which special measures can be taken to counter the spread of the virus.

The designation as being on the verge of a state of emergency can be applied when infections are surging in a situation equivalent to Stage 3, the second-highest on the government's four-tier alert system.

Yet, according to the health ministry, the infection rate in Osaka, Hyogo, Miyagi and Okinawa have already reached Stage 4, with experts including virologists saying the rate necessitates the central government declaring a third state of emergency.

The ministry said the rate in Tokyo and Kyoto, meanwhile, has reached Stage 3 on the four-tier system.

Suga has conceded that the situation in Osaka was in fact worse than when the previous state of emergency was declared in January, although he reiterated, in contrast to some virologists, that the surging infections did not constitute a "fourth wave" of infections.

The health ministry and local officials said Wednesday evening that total cases in Japan stand at a total of 517,723, and the death toll ils 9,524.

The latest statistics come as Japan on Wednesday began counting down 100 days until the scheduled start of the Summer Olympics to be hosted by Tokyo. Enditem

KEY WORDS:
EXPLORE XINHUANET
010020070750000000000000011100001398807551