Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike on Friday said Japan declaring a national state of coronavirus emergency would send a “strong message” that could help dodge an explosive outbreak.
Amid the growing clamour for tighter curbs on people’s movements to stem a rising tide of infections, the government has so far been reluctant to pull the trigger.
It also warned of the heavy damage that could ensue in the world’s third-biggest economy, already close to recession.
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Instead, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has urged school closures and called on citizens to avoid unnecessary non-urgent gatherings and outings while preparing to roll out an economic stimulus plan coming week.
Although, he acknowledged the country was barely avoiding a major jump in infections.
“If the country makes a move, it would send a strong message to people.
“If that is coupled with the economic stimulus package being prepared, it would give Tokyo a big boost in dealing with the epidemic,” Tokyo Gov Koike said at a news conference.
Japan has so far been spared the kind of explosive surge seen in parts of Europe, the U.S. and elsewhere, with about 2,800 cases and 73 deaths so far.
Globally, coronavirus cases surpassed one million as of Thursday, while deaths have topped 50,000.
Declaring a state of emergency would give regional governors legal authority to ask people to stay home and businesses to close, however not to impose the kind of lockdowns seen in other countries.
In most cases, there are no penalties for ignoring requests, and governors’ pleas would be dependent on voluntary public compliance, pressure for which would increase with an emergency declaration.
Nobuhiko Okabe, Director General of the Kawasaki City Institute for Public Health, said judging the timing for declaring a state of emergency was tough.
“If issued too soon, it would have a big economic impact and have a serious effect on society, but if too late, the number of infected patients would rise.
“This is not merely a question of numbers, a balance of merits and demerits must be considered,” he told Reuters in an interview.