While Tokyo is hosting this year's Olympic Games, the Japanese government is slated to expand the coronavirus state of emergency there to neighbouring areas due to a record-breaking surge in COVID infections.
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A government panel approved a plan, putting several prefectures under the state of emergency from next Monday until August 31. The measures already in place in Toyko and the southern island of Okinawa will also be extended until the end of August.
Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga is set to officially announce the measure later today. Five other areas, including Hokkaido, will be placed under less-stringent emergency restrictions.
This comes as Tokyo has reported a record rise in COVID infections for three days in a row. Around 4,000 cases were reported yesterday. The cases have doubled since last weeks, and officials are already warning that cases may hit 4,500 a day within two weeks.
Nationwide, Japan reported 10,687 confirmed cases yesterday, exceeding 120,000 for the first time. 15,166 fatalities have been reported since the onset of the pandemic.
The extension of the emergency measures aim to contain the recent outbreak, as Japan may be faced with yet another crisis after the Olympic Games.
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