"70,000 COVID-19 Cases in Four Months: Japan's Coronavirus Resurgence... Travel Coupon Distribution Delayed"

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Hyunjin] Japan's new COVID-19 cases have once again exceeded 70,000 after four months, indicating a rapid spread of the virus. The Japanese government has decided to postpone the distribution of travel coupons aimed at revitalizing the tourism industry.

According to NHK's tally on the 13th, 76,011 new COVID-19 cases were confirmed nationwide in Japan the previous day. This is the first time in over four months since March 3 (70,319 cases) that daily cases have reached the 70,000 range. The average daily new cases over the past week (June 6?12) rose to 52,299, more than double the previous week's average of 24,446.

In the capital Tokyo, new cases reached 11,511 the previous day, surpassing 10,000 for the first time in nearly four months. NHK reported that 12 prefectures, mainly in western Japan, recorded their highest numbers ever. Japanese media attributed the recent resurgence of COVID-19 to the spread of the Omicron subvariant BA.5, which is known to be more infectious than the original Omicron variant.

The Japanese government currently sees no immediate need for behavioral restrictions such as social distancing but is considering strengthening measures to prevent further spread, including free testing at stations and airports and expanding the target groups for vaccination, NHK reported. Additionally, in response to the COVID-19 spread, the government has decided to postpone the domestic travel support program originally scheduled for this month. This program aims to support the travel and food service industries, which have suffered due to the pandemic, by providing coupons worth up to 11,000 yen per person per day (based on one night) for domestic travelers.

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