TOKYO – Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said he would declare a state of emergency on Tuesday to cover seven prefectures, including Tokyo and Osaka, the worst affected by the coronavirus epidemic, but has not promised no locks like those implemented elsewhere.
“The period will be one month for information only, and this declaration is issued in order to request more cooperation from the public in order to reduce as much as possible the interpersonal contacts which could lead to infections, and to establish the system medical to deal with the situation, “he said.
Abe said he would also announce an “unprecedented” economic rescue package on Tuesday equivalent to about 20 percent of gross domestic product.
“We must continue to protect jobs,” he said. “Even if we declare a state of emergency, we will not lock down cities as has been done abroad,” said Abe, adding that the government aims to maintain as much economic activity as possible.
In the state of emergency, people will be asked to refrain from going out, but no legal sanction will be imposed in the event of non-compliance. Businesses may be asked to tell employees to work from home and schools may be closed, but trains will continue to run and supermarkets will remain open.
Infections have started to rise sharply in Japan in the past two weeks, with around 360 new cases discovered on Sunday, bringing the number of people who contracted the virus to 3,865, with 93 deaths, excluding diamond cases and deaths Princess. cruise ship.
Abe is under increasing pressure from the medical profession and the general public to declare a state of emergency. Tokyo is by far the most affected region and its hospitals are already struggling to cope with more than 950 people already hospitalized with the virus.
The other prefectures covered by the state of emergency will be Kanagawa, Saitama and Chiba – the three around Tokyo – as well as Hyogo and Fukuoka.