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Prime Minister Suga: He shied away from strict measures for too long
Photo:
KIYOSHI OTA / POOL / EPA-EFE / Shutterstock
Shortly after the New Year, Japanese heads of government traditionally make a pilgrimage to the Ise Shrine, the shrine of the Shinto cult in western Japan.
While bowing, they ask for the blessing of the sun goddess Amaterasu, the mythical ancestor of the imperial family.
But the new prime minister Yoshihide Suga, 72, renounced the traditional ritual and stayed in Tokyo.
The Corona crisis left him no choice, the situation is too serious.
On Thursday he declared a corona emergency for the capital and three neighboring prefectures.
With this he hopes to contain the pandemic, at least in this central metropolitan area.
Compared to Germany and other leading industrialized countries, the corona pandemic in Japan had so far been mild.
The majority of the Japanese took care of this themselves; from an early age they are brought up to be considerate of others and to wear masks.
But now the authorities are alarmed at the accelerated pace of the increase.
On Thursday, Tokyo alone reported 2,447 newly infected people, more than ever.
The situation in hospitals is more dramatic than the numbers suggest;
the rapid increase in the severely ill is pushing the health system of the aging nation to the limit.
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