Japan, COVID-19 Cases Surge After Normalization of Inter-Regional Travel in Metropolitan Areas

[Asia Economy Reporter Dongwoo Lee] One month after the Japanese government eased its request to refrain from traveling between the 47 prefectures (都道府縣, metropolitan and regional governments) nationwide, the number of new daily confirmed cases of COVID-19 has increased more than tenfold.

According to NHK's tally on the 19th, the total number of new confirmed cases nationwide over the past month was 6,930, averaging 231 cases per day.

By region, Tokyo Metropolis (都) had the highest number with 3,517 cases, followed by Saitama Prefecture (690 cases), Kanagawa Prefecture (540 cases), Osaka Prefecture (府) (531 cases), and Chiba Prefecture (348 cases).

The number of new daily infections was only 58 nationwide on the 19th of last month, when the request to refrain from inter-prefectural travel was lifted, but it surged to 662 on the 18th, increasing approximately elevenfold in just one month.

NHK reported that cases of infection after crossing prefectural borders for business trips or travel and returning have been reported across the country, analyzing that the easing of the request to refrain from traveling between prefectures was one of the factors spreading COVID-19.

Accordingly, NHK reported that the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, the main agency responsible for COVID-19 response, is appealing for thorough infection prevention measures, such as avoiding the so-called "3 Cs" (closed spaces, crowded places, and close-contact settings) when traveling across prefectural borders.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.