Faced with rising numbers of coronavirus cases and a growing shortage of hospital beds, the leaders of the Kansai region have declared a state of emergency for the New Year's period.
The announcement on Saturday came just a few days after Osaka Prefecture announced its own state of emergency and called on the Self-Defense Forces to dispatch nurses to handle the growing number of seriously ill COVID-19 patients.
On Sunday, Osaka Prefecture recorded 251 new infections, ending a streak of five days through Saturday with over 300 new cases. Prefectural hospital beds for seriously ill patients, including coronavirus patients, were 66.9% full as of Saturday, according to the prefectural government.