Tokyo (AFP)

Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike on Saturday asked the Japanese government to declare a state of emergency again, as the capital this week broke its record for coronavirus contamination.

"We the governors of Tokyo and three (neighboring) prefectures have asked (the central government) to declare a state of emergency (in our regions)," Ms. Koike told reporters after an interview. of three hours with Yasutoshi Nishimura, the minister responsible for the fight against the coronavirus in the government.

Calling the situation "serious", Nishimura said the state of emergency would be discussed at cabinet level.

The minister recommended that governors ensure that restaurants, bars and karaoke close earlier, at 8 p.m., and that alcohol not be served after 7 p.m.

Ms Koike justified her request by citing the increase in the number of cases and the pressure on the medical system in Tokyo and the three neighboring prefectures of Saitama, Chiba and Kanagawa.

Tokyo is due to host the Olympic Games next summer, which were originally scheduled to take place in 2020 but have been postponed due to the pandemic.

If declared, it will be the second state of emergency for Tokyo in connection with the health crisis.

The first, which was later extended to all of Japan, lasted several weeks between April and May 2020.

However, the measure is neither binding nor sanctioning in the event of non-compliance.

It allows local governors to call on businesses to close their doors and residents to stay at home.

No information has yet filtered on the possible closure of schools.

The government hopes to pass a bill soon that would pave the way for penalties for failure to comply with government directives.

Japan has been relatively spared so far compared to other countries around the world, with less than 3,600 deaths since it recorded its first case in January 2020, official figures show.

He also avoided severe containment measures but, with the winter, the health situation worsened and hospitals in several regions sounded the alarm.

Tokyo on Thursday recorded 1,337 new cases of the coronavirus, which was a new record.

The previous toll from last Saturday stood at 949 people infected in one day.

On Saturday, 814 cases were recorded in the capital.

Nationally, the record was also broken Thursday with more than 4,000 new cases, according to authorities.

Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, who took office in September after Shinzo Abe resigned for health reasons, is increasingly criticized for his handling of the health crisis.

His popularity has dropped in polls.

His government has so far been reluctant to declare a state of emergency for fear of economic fallout.

© 2021 AFP