Japan tightens restrictions as Omicron cases soar

Japan recently announced widening of COVID-19 restrictions to the capital of Tokyo, as well as several other regions, as the Omicron variant of coronavirus continued registering record numbers.

As per the reports, strict restrictions are already in place in three regions, whereas the latest restrictions will come into effect from Friday until February 13. This was announced by Prime Minister Fumio Kishida after being informed of the latest situation in the country by an expert panel earlier in the day.
He added that they are already battling against an unknown virus, and are hopeful that they can probably overcome this situation with sufficient preparation and without excessive fear.

Reports have it that such quasi-emergency permits governors to limit business activities and mobility, by shortening the operating hours of restaurants and bars.
Reportedly, Japan added more than 32000 new cases on Tuesday, exceeding an August high soon after Tokyo hosted the Summer Olympics.

Since Omicron is more infectious than the previous variants, public health experts still worry that a wave of such cases could overwhelm the healthcare system.

Japan declared states of emergency four times during the pandemic, and if reports are to go by, it vaccinated about 80% of its population of 126 million.