The Japanese government is considering declaring a quasi-state of emergency for Tokyo and three nearby prefectures amid surges of Covid-19 cases on Saturday with just a dozen of cases shy from its all-time high of 25,662 in August 2021.
Tokyo alone reported more than 4,000 new cases on Sunday while the city’s hospital bed occupancy rate is close to 20%, which is the benchmark given by Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike saying that he will implement the measure if the occupancy rate reaches that point.
The three other prefectures include Saitama, Chiba and Kanagawa.
