Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga is set to declare a state of emergency in the Tokyo metropolitan area on Friday evening, authorizing more robust measures to fight a recent surge in coronavirus infections, Kyodo reported.
The emergency declaration, which will be effective from Friday to Feb. 7, 2021 will entail asking residents to stay home and calls on restaurants to close by 8 p.m. Gyms, department stores and entertainment facilities will also be subject to the shorter hours.
The move comes a day after the daily number of new coronavirus cases in Japan topped 6,000 for the first time, fanning concerns hospitals could soon become overwhelmed.
