TOKYO (AP) – Japan began its first day under the state of coronavirus on Friday, with much of its life as usual, including morning commuter trains carrying crowds of people wearing masks to lively stations .
Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga reiterated his call for restaurants to reduce their working hours and for people to work from home.
“We take this very seriously. By all means, I would like to overcome this difficult situation with the cooperation of the people “, Suga told reporters.
The emergency lasts until February 7. The statement calls on restaurants and bars to close by 8pm, while drinks will not be served after 7pm.
It applies to Tokyo and the three surrounding prefectures, Saitama, Chiba and Kanagawa.
Nationwide, cases confirmed by COVID-19 reached about 260,000, with more than 7,500 new cases reported on Friday.
“The infection is the largest in all regions of the nation,” Suga said.
Suga promised legal revisions, including allowing sanctions and other measures to give more force to the demands. They will be studied in parliament later this month.
The statement is expected to have an influence in conformist Japan. Some companies have been resistant to working remotely, and the emergency can help workers assert their desire to stay at home.
But much of life will remain the same, with schools, sporting events, shops and cinemas open, but with social distancing measures and a mask. The crowds are expected to thin out at night.
The previous emergency, declared in April and May last year, although more extensive in scope and area, had some effect on reducing the spread of COVID-19.
The number of daily cases in Tokyo rose to a daily high of 2,447 on Thursday. The goal is to reduce them to 500, according to officials.
Like many other Tokyo residents, Kazue Kuramitsu was already pessimistic about how long it might take for things to return to normal.
“Today, we are practically in a month-long battle. But I don’t think the spread will stop, “she said.
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Associated Press video journalist Haruka Nuga contributed to the report.
Follow her on Twitter at https://twitter.com/HarukaNuga and Yuri Kageyama at https://twitter.com/yurikageyama