In three more prefectures, which have been particularly affected by the covid-19 pandemic, the Japan State of emergency, said Economy Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura, in a surprise move typical of the country’s concern over the spread of the coronavirus.
The prefectures of Hokkaido, Okayama and Hiroshima will be put in a state of emergency from Sunday, which has already been declared in Osaka, Tokyo and four other prefectures by May 31, explained Nishimura, who is in charge of managing the pandemic.
Three other prefectures will be added to the list of areas where increased measures apply, but no state of emergency has been declared, he added.
According to AMPE, after today’s announcement in 19 of the 47 prefectures of Japan, where about 70% of the population lives, restrictions will apply, among them the closing of restaurants at 20:00, h ban on selling alcohol in bars and restaurants, as well as the closure of some shops and cinemas.
Experts in Japan warn that the country’s health system is at its limits, while the population immunization program is the slowest among the advanced states, as only 3% of adults have been vaccinated.

Cancellation of the Olympics
Meanwhile, public opposition is growing to the holding of the Olympic Games in Japan, after their postponement last year due to the pandemic.
The island of Hokkaido, where the marathon is scheduled to be hosted, recorded a record number of 712 new cases of covid-19 on Thursday, while 1,010 were detected in Tokyo. Nationwide, 656,000 coronavirus cases and 11,161 deaths have been reported in Japan so far.
In a rare move, a prominent businessman, the chairman and CEO of SoftBank Group Corp. Masayoshi Sean, said he was concerned about the conduct of the Olympic Games.
Citizens who oppose the holding of the Olympic Games have also filed a petition calling for their cancellation, which has been signed by more than 352,000 people.
The petition, entitled “Cancel the Tokyo Olympics to Protect Our Lives,” was filed in early May by Kenzi Utsunomiya, a lawyer and former candidate for governor of Tokyo.
THE particular speed with which signatures were collected on Change.org “reflects public opinion,” while polls from last year show that 60% to 70% of Japanese are opposed to hosting the Olympics this summer, he told reporters.
“This time the question is what we give priority to: life or a ceremony and an event called the Olympic Games,” Utsunomiya complained.
The application was sent by mail to the International Olympic Committee and the International Paralympic Committee, and will later be sent to international organizations. It will also be delivered to the Japanese government and the organizing committee of the Tokyo Olympics.

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