{"id":120116,"date":"2021-04-07T06:05:29","date_gmt":"2021-04-07T06:05:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/precoinnews.com\/?p=120116"},"modified":"2021-04-07T06:05:29","modified_gmt":"2021-04-07T06:05:29","slug":"japans-osaka-set-to-declare-emergency-amid-record-covid-19-cases-media","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/precoinnews.com\/markets\/japans-osaka-set-to-declare-emergency-amid-record-covid-19-cases-media\/","title":{"rendered":"Japan's Osaka set to declare emergency amid record COVID-19 cases – media"},"content":{"rendered":"
TOKYO (Reuters) – The Japanese metropolis of Osaka is to declare a medical emergency as new COVID-19 infections climb to all-time highs, the Kyodo news agency reported on Wednesday.<\/p> New infections will likely exceed 800 a day and authorities in the prefecture are preparing to declare an emergency as the medical system comes under increasing strain, Kyodo reported, citing officials.<\/p>\n A spokesman for the Osaka prefecture could not confirm that infection figure when contacted by Reuters and said an emergency declaration was still being considered.<\/p>\n Health authorities are worried that variants of the coronavirus are causing a fourth wave of infections with just 107 days until the Tokyo Olympics are due to begin and while a vaccination drive is still in its early stages.<\/p>\n The Osaka government reported 719 new cases on Tuesday, the highest since the pandemic began. Some 70% of hospital beds for severe cases are now occupied, according to official data.<\/p>\n Osaka and the neighbouring prefectures of Hyogo and Miyagi started targeted lockdown measures for a month from Monday in a bid to rein in a more virulent strain of the virus that has been spreading.<\/p>\n Osaka\u2019s infections have exceeded those in the much larger city of Tokyo in recent days.<\/p>\n Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said on Sunday emergency measures employed in the Osaka area could be extended to Tokyo and elsewhere if needed.<\/p>\n Japan\u2019s vaccination drive is far behind that of most major economies.<\/p>\n About 1 million people in Japan have had at least one COVID-19 vaccine shot since February, which is less than 1% of the population, compared with almost 2% in South Korea, which started its campaign after Japan.<\/p>\n