Tokyo (AFP)

The Japanese government once again extended on Friday the state of emergency in force in part of the archipelago in the face of Covid-19, until June 20 now, almost a month before the opening of the Tokyo Olympics. (July 23-August 8).

"The number of new cases has declined since mid-May, but the situation continues to be uncertain," Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga told reporters.

"In Tokyo and Osaka, the number of new infections remains at a high level," he recalled.

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The state of emergency, which had already been extended in May, currently concerns 10 of Japan's 47 departments, including those of Tokyo and its suburbs, Osaka and Kyoto (west).

This device, however, has nothing to do with the containment measures imposed elsewhere in the world, and consists mainly of imposing closures of bars and restaurants at 8:00 p.m. and asking them not to serve alcohol.

- Government and CIO criticized -

The Japanese government is criticized for the slowness of its vaccination program and for its insistence on maintaining the Olympic Games, which constitute a risk factor with the arrival of tens of thousands of athletes, officials and journalists from around the world.

On Wednesday, the Japanese newspaper Asahi, official partner of the Olympics and the second national daily newspaper in terms of circulation, called for the cancellation of the event, which it described as "a threat to health".

He also denounced the "selfish nature" of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), whose Vice-President John Coates had declared last week that the Olympics would take place even if Tokyo remained in a state of emergency during the event.

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Multiple opinion polls in recent months show a majority opposition of the Japanese population to the Olympics, although calls for demonstrations have not attracted many people so far.

Some leaders of large companies in the country not partners of the event have also expressed their opposition and new medical associations joined the anti-JO concert this week, citing in particular the potential spread of variants.

In March, the organizers had decided to ban the arrival of spectators from abroad, a first in Olympic history.

They must decide in June on the presence or not of spectators residing in Japan.

"I think the number of supporters (...) will be decided after the state of emergency is lifted," Seiko Hashimoto, president of the Tokyo-2020 organizing committee, said on Friday.

- Impatience of athletes -

The vast majority of athletes selected around the world are impatiently preparing for the Olympic Games, even if some express reservations.

World tennis number one Novak Djokovic said on Thursday that he would reconsider his participation if the public were not allowed.

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US President Joe Biden was in favor of holding the Games in April and on Thursday, the European Union supported the event, "a symbol of global unity to defeat Covid-19".

Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, stressed Thursday that the authorization given by the EU to export more than 100 million doses of vaccines to Japan was "a strong sign of our support for the preparation of the Olympic Games and the security of those Games ".

Japan, the world's third-largest economy, is lagging behind in its vaccination program: less than 2.5% of the national population has received two doses so far, due in particular to red tape.

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However, the Japanese archipelago has been relatively spared from the pandemic with some 12,500 officially recorded deaths since early 2020.

General elections in the country must be held no later than October.

The Prime Minister's popularity has plummeted in recent months, but his conservative party, the Liberal Democratic Party (PLD), which has dominated Japanese political life for more than half a century, is hardly threatened for the Prime Minister. moment by an opposition appearing weak and divided, according to experts.

© 2021 AFP