JAPAN RATTLED BY COVID-19

People in Japan are expressing anxiety about how their lives and businesses will be impacted by the imposition of another state of emergency in Tokyo and neighboring areas following record numbers of coronavirus cases, according to Kyodo News.

At the same time, Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga's decision to declare a monthlong state of emergency to Feb. 7 was met with skepticism from some residents, who questioned the effect it will have on curbing infections.

"We have started to understand what kind of disease (COVID-19) is, so I feel like we are not facing the same sense of urgency that we had in spring last year," Kunio Iyonaga, a 48-year-old commuter from Yokohama said at Tokyo's busy JR Shimbashi Station.

"But I still want (the government) to show us what we can do exactly to prevent infections," said Iyonaga, who has been working from home four days a week due to the spread of the virus.

The emergency declaration comes as the number of daily coronavirus cases in Tokyo hit yet another all-time high of 2,447, up more than 800 from the previous record set Wednesday, raising fears over the strain on the medical system.

A 38-year-old mother in the city of Saitama, who saw her 8-year-old son off to elementary school on Thursday morning, said, "I wonder if this will be enough. I want (the government) to impose stricter measures to fix the current situation."

Toshio Nakagawa, president of the Japan Medical Association, has welcomed the government's plan to declare a state of emergency but said it should look into the possibility of expanding coverage of the declaration to the whole country.

Residents in the area subject to the emergency -- Tokyo, Chiba, Kanagawa and Saitama prefectures -- will be asked to stay home. The government will also call for businesses including restaurants, entertainment facilities and department stores to close earlier.

In Asakusa, one of the most popular tourism spots in Tokyo, souvenir store owner Yoko Kikuchi voiced worries over the impact of the restrictions. During the previous declaration in spring last year, she said the streets were empty.

"People were outside during the year-end and New Year holidays. I don't think there will be a significant drop (in the number of people) compared to last time," Kikuchi, 76, said.

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