Japan mulls extending Covid quasi-emergency in 13 prefectures

Tokyo, Feb 4 Japan is considering extending a Covid-19 quasi-state of emergency in Tokyo and 12 prefectures by two weeks, as the country's daily infection cases surpass 100,000 on Thursday, government officials said.

The end date of quasi-state of emergency placed in 34 of Japan's 47 prefectures was originally set on February 13, Xinhua news agency reported.

Japan's daily infection tally surged to 104,470 on Thursday, topping 100,000 for the first time and pushing up the cumulative total to 3 million cases.

Apart from the quasi-emergency which includes restrictions on business hours of eateries, the Japanese government also mulls over requesting residents to refrain from nonessential travel between prefectures to reduce strain on the medical system, according to government officials.

Besides Tokyo, the extension is being considered for Saitama, Chiba and Kanagawa, which border the capital, as well as Gunma, Niigata, Gifu, Aichi, Mie, Kagawa, Nagasaki, Kumamoto and Miyazaki.

The Japanese capital logged 20,679 infection cases on Thursday, slightly lower than the previous day's record-high 21,576.

Also on Thursday, the government placed the western prefecture of Wakayama under the quasi-emergency, effective from Saturday to February 27.

The quasi-emergency curbs are "effective to a certain extent, as there are areas where the number of new coronavirus cases is declining," Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said at a regular press conference.