Coronavirus: State of emergency, but no lockdown, in Japan’s largest cities
2020-04-08 10:01:25 source：The Straits Times
April 7, 2020
TOKYO - Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe declared a month-long state of emergency covering seven prefectures including Tokyo and Osaka on Tuesday (April 7), urging people to drastically reduce contact as the coronavirus pandemic shows little signs of abating.
The latest move in Japan’s war against Covid-19 followed criticism over haphazard policies like premature calls for schools to close, and as under-testing cast doubt on the actual scale of the outbreak.
The declaration, criticised by some as coming too late, does not invoke any criminal penalties nor restrict any movement. Instead, the government hopes it will keep people off the streets and instil a sense of crisis that has, until recently, been severely lacking.
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