Tokyo Cases Hit Record as Gov't Mulls Emergency

World

January 6th, 12:35pm

Asharq Al-Awsat

A woman wearing a face mask to help curb the spread of the new coronavirus walks through a bar street Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021. The Japanese capital confirmed more than 1500 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

Tokyo on Wednesday reported a daily record of 1,591 coronavirus cases as the national government prepares to declare a state of emergency this week to cope with a new wave of infections. Those needing critical care in the capital also reached a record 113 people, according to the metropolitan government. Toshio Nakagawa, head of the Japan Medical Association, called the situation “extremely serious” but stopped short of criticizing Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga for acting too slow to contain the latest outbreak, as some have suggested. “Please take this virus seriously, and don’t think it’s just another flu,” Nakagawa said, warning hospital care was getting stretched thin, The Associated Press reported. Japan has confirmed more than 250,000 cases, including over 3,700 deaths.

from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/2725266/tokyo-cases-hit-record-govt-mulls-emergency