Japan has extended a state of emergency to the entire country, which will further weigh on domestic energy demand, amid a growing number of Covid-19 cases as a traditional holiday season nears.
Premier Shinzo Abe's government late yesterday officially enforced a nationwide emergency for a one-month period until 6 May, shifting from its previous policy to limit tough quarantine measures to the country's main consumer and industrial areas. The previous state of emergency originally covered only seven designated prefectures — Tokyo and nearby Chiba, Saitama and Kanagawa, Osaka and its neighbouring Hyogo, along with Fukuoka.
"We have decided to extend the emergency across the nation to rein in the spread of the virus in local areas, where the infection is on the rise because of people traveling from cities, and particularly to minimise the movement of the people during the golden week holiday," Abe said.
It had taken two months for the number of Covid-19 cases in Japan to reach 1,000 by late March. But it grew by nearly 5,000 in 10 days from 8 April and reached 8,582 at midday yesterday, according to the health ministry.
Covid-19's impact on consumer demand, coupled with emergency quarantine measures, have slowed Japanese manufacturing activity. Industrial plants are continuing operations under business continuity plans but face the risk of suspensions as the outbreak widens to affect workers.
Abe urged all the 47 prefectural governments to call on residents to avoid nonessential cross-border travels and visits to tourist destinations during the local holiday season between 29 April and 6 May in the hope of containing the Covid-19 pademic, and ending the emergency within a month as originally planned.
Of the 47 prefectures, the government has asked 13 local governments in particular to take considerably tough quarantine measures as Covid-19 is showing no signs of slowing its spread. The 13 includes the seven originally-designated prefectures, which account for 70pc of Japan's total Covid-19 infection cases. The other six prefectures are Hokkaido in northern Japan, Ibaraki near Tokyo, Aichi, Gifu and Ishikawa in central Japan and Kyoto located near Osaka.
The prefectural government of Aichi, the home to Japan's biggest auto producer Toyota, earlier said it independently planned to reinforce quarantine measures from today until 6 May in the wake of a rapid rise in the number of Covid-19 cases, which has topped 300. Toyota said the planned emergency would not affect production at its 11 vehicle assembly and parts plants located inside Aichi prefecture.
Toyota has unveiled a plan to reduce domestic car output during May-June in response to a sharp drop in global new car sales.
