The government recommended extending by two weeks its virus state of emergency for the Tokyo region set to expire Sunday, trying to maintain a declining trend in infections as it looks to host the Olympics in about four months.
The move was announced early Friday by the government’s point man for virus management, economic revitalization minister Yasutoshi Nishimura. It came after Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga strongly indicated Wednesday that he was aiming to extend the nearly two-month measure, saying it was "an extremely important time for preventing infections.”
Nishimura said the extension for Tokyo and three adjacent prefectures will help to deal with mutant strains and prevent a fresh wave of infections from emerging. He also said strain on the medical system is a reason for the extension.