New COVID-19 Cases in Japan Reach 4,877... Emergency Declaration Expansion to Osaka Under Review

4877 New Confirmed Cases by 8:15 PM
Total Cases Exceed 290,000...4128 Deaths
State of Emergency Declaration Likely to Expand to Osaka

Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga is seen declaring a state of emergency for the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) during a press conference in Tokyo on the 7th, as shown on a TV screen. (Photo by Yonhap News)

[Asia Economy Reporter Moon Jiwon] The spread of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) in Japan is showing little sign of subsiding. The Japanese government is considering expanding the state of emergency, currently declared in some metropolitan areas, to western Japan's central region, including Osaka Prefecture.

According to NHK on the 11th, 4,877 new COVID-19 cases were confirmed in Japan by 8:15 p.m. on that day. The number of confirmed cases on the 11th is the highest ever recorded on a Monday since the spread of COVID-19 began in Japan.

Japan's cumulative confirmed cases have increased to 294,349, and the number of deaths rose by 48 to reach 4,128. The number of severe cases rose by 12 from the previous day to 864, setting a new record. So far, 34 patients infected with variant viruses have been confirmed.

Kyodo News reported that the Japanese government is discussing the possibility of declaring a state of emergency under the "Special Measures Act on New Influenza, etc." as early as the 13th for three Kansai region prefectures: Osaka, Kyoto, and Hyogo.

The state of emergency is currently declared in four metropolitan prefectures in the Tokyo metropolitan area: Tokyo, Saitama, Kanagawa, and Chiba.

If the declaration is expanded to include Osaka and others, the number of prefectures under the state of emergency will increase to seven out of the 47 prefectures nationwide.

Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga appeared on NHK the previous day and said regarding whether to declare a state of emergency in Osaka and other areas, "We need to observe the situation for a few more days," but added, "I am aware that the situation is urgent. We are prepared to respond immediately if necessary."

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