The Tokyo 2020 Olympics, delayed by one year due to the pandemic, are due to open on July 23 in the Japanese capital where infections had decreased thanks to the state of emergency but where they have been on the rise since the lifting of restrictions on March 21.
The new measures - which are much less severe than the strict confinements imposed in other countries - mainly provide for the closure of restaurants and bars at 8 p.m., under penalty of fines for recalcitrant companies.
The city of Osaka (west) is already the subject of special measures after an upsurge in Covid-19 cases, which led to the cancellation of the Olympic torch relay on public roads throughout the department.
Precautions until May
The new measures, which begin on Monday, will remain in effect until May 11 in Tokyo and could affect the route of the Olympic flame.
In addition to the capital, the city of Kyoto (west) and several areas of the Okinawa department (south) will also be subject to restrictions until May 5, including the “Golden Week” holiday during. which they are usually inundated with visitors.
“Today, we have decided to take intensive measures to prevent an epidemic in Tokyo, Kyoto and Okinawa,” Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said at a meeting of ministers and government officials.
"We made this decision because of the fact that the number of new infections is increasing and the fear that the medical system is under pressure in these regions," he added.
For her part, Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike stressed the need to control infections before the Olympics, commenting on the new measures announced on Friday.
"In order to prevent a wide spread of the virus during the Games and to ensure that everyone can move freely while taking precautions, I think we need to take steps to (...) reduce the cases (of Covid -19) when we see a big increase, ”Ms. Koike told reporters.
Despite several waves of infections, Japan has been relatively spared so far compared to other countries, with some 9,300 officially recorded deaths in the archipelago since January 2020.
But urban centers are seeing an upsurge in cases, with healthcare professionals reporting increasing pressure on their infrastructure and staff.
Doctors have also reported the rapid spread of variants.
Vaccination is progressing very slowly in Japan, which has so far only approved the vaccine from the American pharmaceutical company Pfizer.
Only health workers have received doses, and vaccination of the elderly is expected to start next week.
No date has yet been announced for the vaccination of the general population.
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