TOKYO, 1 June 2021: Japan has extended its state of emergency in Tokyo and eight other prefectures until 20 June, just a month before the Olympic Games are due to open in the Japanese capital.
A state of emergency remains in place for Hokkaido, Tokyo, Aichi, Osaka, Hyogo, Kyoto, Okayama, Hiroshima, Fukuoka and Okinawa.
Bars, karaoke bars and restaurants that serve alcohol are asked to close. Dining establishments that do not serve alcohol are closing by 2000. Supermarkets and other essential stores will remain open. Residents are asked to refrain from cross-prefectural travel and non-essential outings after 2000.
Stricter non-emergency measures in Saitama, Chiba, Kanagawa, Gifu and Mie have also been extended to 20 June.
Japan is still recording more than 4,000 cases a day during a prolonged fourth wave that has strained medical services.
“The newly reported cases are on a downward trend, but they are still at a high level,” a government spokesperson told the media last Friday.
(Source: Travel Advisories)
