Japan Extends State of Emergency Closures

The Japanese government intends to extend the ongoing State of Emergency in Tokyo, Kyoto, Hyogo, and the Osaka area. The COVID-19 emergency will be expanded to Aichi and Fukuoka, reported KyodoNews today.

Tokyo's governor Yuriko Koike informed news reporters the COVID-19 outbreak had not improved enough to lift the restrictions. Tokyo continues to report the majority of COVID-19 cases. The updated guidelines are posted in Japanese.

The current State of Emergency launched on April 25th, 2021, and was scheduled to end on May 11th, 2021.

On May 6th, Japan's government reported two passengers who arrived at the airport were quarantined with the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, and 27 asymptomatic pathogen carriers were also identified.

The status of the Tokyo Olympic Games this summer has recently become an issue in Japan, with polls showing most residents (72%) favoring either postponement or cancellation.