FILE PHOTO: People wear protective masks in a shopping district amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Tokyo, Japan, December 14 , 2020. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon/File Photo/File Photo
TOKYO - Tokyo’s governor has asked Japan’s central government for permission to implement emergency measures to curb a coronavirus variant ahead of the Olympics.
Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga says he plans to place Tokyo under emergency virus measures after consulting with experts on Friday.
Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike says she asked the government to allow her to issue binding orders under a new virus prevention law enacted in February, It includes a penalty for business owners who defy measures and compensation for those who comply. Tokyo came out of a state of emergency in late March.
Tokyo’s step follows Osaka in western Japan, which recently declared a medical emergency after its hospitals became overwhelmed with cases.
Tokyo reported 545 cases on Thursday. Koike says she's concerned by the rapid spread of variants, especially one originally detected in Britain.
