Japan's Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga on Friday declared a state of emergency over Covid-19 in the national capital Tokyo and the western prefectures of Osaka, Kyoto and Hyogo.
The state of emergency, a third of its kind so far declared in the country, will come into effect from Sunday to May 11, reports said.
The emergency is aimed at curbing a surge in Covid-19 cases during the upcoming Golden Week holidays. "We must take strong measures in a focused manner while many people are on holiday during the Golden Week to bring the virus under control," Suga said.
Stricter restrictions, such as asking restaurants and bars not to serve alcohol and shutting down major commercial facilities, will be in place.
Japan PM visit to India cancelled
Earlier, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga has canceled his planned trips to India and the Philippines due to the worsening Covid situation both in Japan and the destination countries.
Both India and Japan are struggling to contain a rebound in novel coronavirus virus infections, with the Japanese government saying on Wednesday that a fresh state of emergency would be declared for Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto and Hyogo prefectures from Friday amid a surge in cases.
Japan and India have also postponed their planned foreign and defence ministerial talks that were scheduled to take place this weekend in Tokyo, owing to Covid-19 cases rising in both countries.
Suga has said he needs to remain in Japan to focus on the fight against the pandemic, which, in hard-hit Osaka Prefecture in western Japan, has seen the healthcare system overloaded, with not enough beds available in hospitals to treat patients suffering from severe Covid-19 symptoms.
