Japan expands state of emergency as Delta variant cases soar | Al Jazeera

Japan is expanding a state of emergency to eight more prefectures, taking the total to 21 in all, to stem a rapid rise in coronavirus infections, the minister in charge of COVID-19 countermeasures announced on Wednesday.

The government has so far placed 13 of Japan’s 47 prefectures, including the capital, Tokyo, under emergency restrictions due to run until September 12 to combat soaring Delta variant cases that have piled pressure on the healthcare system.

“Critical cases have spiked suddenly and the medical system is in an extremely dire state,” Economy Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura said at the start of a meeting with a panel of advisers, whose approval is needed to formalise the plan.

The government wants to impose emergency curbs on Hokkaido, Aichi, Hiroshima and five other regions spanning the Japanese archipelago from August 27 through September 12, he said.

It is also looking to add four more prefectures for more limited “quasi-emergency” measures, he said.