TOKYO, July 3 — Japan has no need to reintroduce a state of emergency to tackle the novel coronavirus, its top government spokesman said today, as cases in Tokyo rose to a two-month high.
The new cases are mostly among people in their 20s and 30s, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told reporters, with the number of serious cases declining.
New daily cases in the capital have exceeded 50 over the last week, with Tokyo reporting more than 120 today, up from 107 the day before, the Nikkei newspaper reported, as the virus spreads among nightlife workers.
The state of emergency was lifted on May 25.
The pandemic is dominating Sunday’s gubernatorial election campaign, with the incumbent, Yuriko Koike, looking set to win easily.
The state of emergency gave governors of Japan’s 47 prefectures stronger legal authority to urge people to stay home and businesses to close, but there were no fines or arrests for non-compliance. — Reuters
