Okinawa on Wednesday asked the central government to add it to areas under a COVID-19 state of emergency as the southern island prefecture saw a record number of infections.
The prefecture reported 203 daily new infections among its population of 1.5 million, up from 168 the previous day, with Okinawa Gov Denny Tamaki saying the local health care system is in a “crisis situation.”
At present, 16 municipalities in Okinawa are under a quasi-state of emergency, which allows the governor to single out areas with such anti-virus measures as telling restaurants to close early. By comparison, a full-fledged emergency declaration covers an entire prefecture.
Nine prefectures across Japan, including Tokyo and Osaka, are under a state of emergency until May 31, with restaurants and bars being told to close by 8 p.m. and refrain from serving alcohol or offering karaoke services.
Department stores and other major commercial facilities are also requested to temporarily shut or close early, and attendance at concerts and sports events has been capped at 5,000 or 50 percent of venue capacity.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato said the situation in Okinawa warrants “watching with a sense of caution” and that the government will quickly review the prefecture’s request to be added to the state of emergency.
Okinawa is a popular tourist destination for its warm climate, beaches and distinct Ryukyu culture, and hosts the bulk of the U.S. military presence in Japan.
Amid its fourth wave of virus infections, the seven-day rolling average of new infections in almost half of Japan’s 47 prefectures have reached Stage 4, the worst level on the government’s four-point scale, with 25 or more weekly infection cases per 100,000 people.
Meanwhile, the country’s vaccination program has lagged, with just about 4 percent of the population having received at least one shot as of Tuesday, according to government data.
