Tokyo goes on red alert over virus spike
Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike displays a sign reading ‘Infection spread alert’ as she speaks during a press conference at the Tokyo Metropolitan Government office in Tokyo on Wednesday. Tokyo is on its highest coronavirus alert level after a spike in new cases, the city’s governor warned on Wednesday, as experts said the rising infections were a clear “red flag.”
Tokyo raised its coronavirus alert to the highest “red” level on Wednesday, alarmed by a recent spike in daily new cases to record highs, with Governor Yuriko Koike describing the situation in the Japanese capital as “rather severe.”
The resurgence of the virus in Tokyo could add to the growing pressure on policymakers to shore up the world’s No. 3 economy, which analysts say is set to shrink at its fastest pace in decades this fiscal year due to the pandemic.
“We are in a situation where we should issue warnings to citizens and businesses,” Koike told reporters, urging residents to refrain from unnecessary travel.
The infection rate in Tokyo is at stage “red,” the highest of four levels in the metropolis’ system, Koike said, citing the analysis by health experts who cautioned earlier in the day that infections were going up quite a bit and “exceeding peaks.”
She also pledged to step up testing for the virus by utilizing equipment at universities.
“My understanding is that we’re in a rather severe situation now,” Koike said.
Infections among young people and asymptomatic cases are rising in Tokyo, health experts say.
Fearing a second wave of infections spreading from the capital, local municipalities, opposition lawmakers and social media users have asked the central government to suspend a major “Go To” travel aid campaign that aims to boost domestic tourism.
Leaders of some rural towns say that driven by the campaign, travel in and out of high-risk regions like Tokyo may lead to widespread community transmissions. Local media reported Tokyo residents were being asked to stay away from parents and relatives living in rural towns that have reported fewer coronavirus cases.
The pandemic in Japan will turn into a “man-made” disaster should the travel program go ahead, Soichiro Miyashita, mayor of the city of Mutsu in Aomori Prefecture, has warned.
But economy minister Yasutoshi Nishimura said the government will cautiously proceed with the campaign, which includes discounts for shopping and food.
“Obviously we will consider the thoughts of many of our people, while monitoring the situation ahead,” Nishimura, who leads the government’s coronavirus policy, told parliament.
