Japan set to extend coronavirus state of emergency in Tokyo, casting shadow over Olympics
Source: Washington Post
Japan set to extend coronavirus state of emergency in Tokyo, casting shadow over Olympics
By
Erin Cunningham
Today at 9:56 a.m. EDT
Japan was planning to extend a state of emergency in Tokyo and Okinawa, and expand the measure to four other regions as the nationwide number of new daily coronavirus cases soared past 10,000 for the first time, officials said Thursday.
Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said his government would ask a panel of experts Friday to broaden the state of emergency beyond the capital, even as authorities sought to play down the outbreaks effect on the Olympics Games in Tokyo.
The fresh surge has cast a shadow over the Games, where strict protocols have kept athletes and other visitors separate from the rest of the city. Olympic organizers Thursday announced 24 new coronavirus cases linked to the Games, as well as two hospitalizations, marking the largest single-day increase of the events.
The new cases brought the total number of Olympics-related infections to 193 since July 1. In Tokyo, authorities reported a record number of new cases for the third-straight day Thursday, registering 3,865 infections.
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Read more:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/olympics/2021/07/29/olympics-tokyo-japan-coronavirus-emergency/