TOKYO (Reuters) – Japan’s western prefecture of Osaka and two neighbouring regions are expected to take part a widening declaration of COVID-19 prevention measures, Osaka’s governor stated on Thursday.
Japan added more than 41,000 new COVID-19 infections on Wednesday because the Omicron variant unfold, a tally by nationwide broadcaster NHK confirmed, breaking a report for two consecutive days.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida selected Wednesday to increase the measures to cowl the capital Tokyo and a dozen different regions. If the restrictions are widened to embrace Osaka and its two neighbors, 63% of the nation’s whole inhabitants – or simply below 80 million folks – would stay below the measure.
Governor Hirofumi Yoshimura stated the prefecture would maintain a gathering on Friday to decide whether or not to apply for measures referred to as quasi-emergency that enable governors to request eating places and bars shorten enterprise hours and cease serving alcohol.
Yoshimura stated he was coordinating with the prefectural governors of Kyoto and Hyogo on making a joint request.
“I believe the three prefectures will most likely be a part of collectively to request the quasi-emergency measures (on Friday),” Yoshimura stated.
Yoshimura stated he expected Osaka would log roughly 6,000 new infections on Thursday, shut to the report quantity seen on Wednesday.
(Reporting by Satoshi Sugiyama; modifying by Barbara Lewis)
by 
