Hokkaido's local government heads agreed Monday to ask residents of Sapporo to refrain from nonessential outings following back-to-back days of record coronavirus infections in the region.
Hokkaido Gov. Naomichi Suzuki and Sapporo Mayor Katsuhiro Akimoto agreed in an emergency meeting to urge the city's residents to not travel to other areas of the island, with 189 new infections reported in the prefecture Monday.
Hokkaido, a popular tourist spot known for its cold temperatures and large snowfalls, has recently been experiencing a rapid rise in daily infections, with more than 200 cases reported on four consecutive days through Sunday. It reported a record 236 cases Thursday.