By YUKI KUBOTA/ Staff Writer
May 25, 2021 at 16:30 JST
Osaka Governor Hirofumi Yoshimura speaks at a news conference on May 19. (Yuki Kubota)
OSAKA--Osaka Prefecture decided to ask the central government to re-extend the COVID-19 state of emergency for the prefecture because of the continued strain on the health care system.
The official decision was made at the prefectural government’s task force meeting on May 25.
Osaka Governor Hirofumi Yoshimura has been cautious about the lifting of the emergency declaration for his prefecture scheduled on May 31. The state of emergency for the prefecture was already extended on May 12.
“We managed to curb the growth in infections, and (new cases) are now on the decline,” Yoshimura said at the meeting. “But the health care system is still under severe strain.”
He told reporters after the meeting that he does not think continuing the state of emergency for only a short period would be enough, although the central government would decide how long the extended measure will last.
The prefecture is asking the neighboring Kyoto and Hyogo prefectures, which are also covered by the state of emergency, to jointly seek an extension, according to Osaka prefectural government sources.
Osaka Prefecture currently bans bars and restaurants from serving alcohol and asks them to shorten their operating hours. It is also requesting large facilities, such as department stores and movie theaters, to close temporarily at the governor’s discretion.
Osaka Mayor Ichiro Matsui said that if the state of emergency continues beyond May 31, the Osaka prefectural government should review its anti-virus measures, which are stricter than those taken in other areas under the emergency declaration.
Osaka Prefecture reported 216 new infections on May 24, the second consecutive day the daily count fell below 300.
As of May 24, 318 COVID-19 patients in the prefecture were hospitalized with severe symptoms, including 29 who are continuing to receive treatment at beds for patients with moderate symptoms.
The occupancy rate of the 348 hospital beds secured for those in serious condition was 83 percent.
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