In the wake of the government extending its COVID-19 state of emergency for nine prefectures, including Osaka, Kyoto, and Hyogo in the Kansai region, until June 20, there has been a flood of media reports on how risky it would be to go ahead with the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, slated to begin on July 23.
At the end of May, the number of daily new cases in Osaka, Hyogo and Kyoto was declining compared with April. But that didn’t ease the worries of Kansai residents, because local medical systems, especially Osaka's, have all but collapsed.
Horror stories of people consigned to temporary waiting stations for over two days before being able to receive treatment have made local, national and international headlines.