The government is making arrangements to add Okinawa Prefecture to the areas under its COVID-19 state of emergency declaration amid surging infections in the southern island region, a government source said Thursday.
The planned addition of Okinawa would bring the total number of prefectures under the emergency to 10. The move comes after Okinawa Gov. Denny Tamaki on Wednesday asked for his prefecture to be added as the spread of infections increasingly strains the health system.
"We are sharing information on the infection situation and the level of strain on the medical system with Okinawa Prefecture," said Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato at a news conference.