Photo/Illutration The sign stating “Now Under State of Emergency” is displayed on an electronic signboard in front of Ikebukuro Station in Tokyo on Aug. 5. (Tatsuya Shimada)

The government plans to add Kyoto, Hyogo and Fukuoka prefectures to the six currently under a state of emergency to help curb the rapid spread of novel coronavirus infections, sources said.

Health Minister Norihisa Tamura and other ministers responding to the COVID-19 health crisis are expected to discuss the declaration at a meeting as early as Aug. 16.

The government is expected to officially decide on the declaration for those newly targeted prefectures, which are currently under pre-emergency measures, as soon as Aug. 17.

Government officials are also discussing the need to extend the current state of emergency for Tokyo and Saitama, Chiba, Kanagawa, Osaka and Okinawa prefectures, which is set to expire at the end of August.

It urges eating and drinking establishments in those areas offering alcoholic beverages to suspend their operations. 

The government is also seeking to add more prefectures to the 13 that are currently under pre-emergency measures.

On July 12, the government extended the state of emergency for Okinawa Prefecture and declared it for Tokyo for the fourth time. On Aug. 2, it extended the declarations until Aug. 31 and designated Saitama, Chiba, Kanagawa and Osaka prefectures, which were under pre-emergency measures, to the state of emergency status. 

On Aug. 16, the Shizuoka prefectural government asked the central government to place the prefecture under a state of emergency. The cycling event is planned in the prefecture for the Tokyo Paralympics, which will start on Aug. 24.

(This article was written by Keishi Nishimura and Kazuki Uechi.)

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