Japan: Coronavirus emergency areas expanded as cases surge

Japan has expanded its coronavirus state of emergency for a second week in a row, adding eight more prefectures as a surge in infections fuelled by the Delta variant strains the country’s healthcare system.

The government last week extended the state of emergency until September 12 and expanded the areas covered to 13 prefectures from six including Tokyo.

With four new prefectures added to a separate “quasi-emergency” status, 33 of Japan’s 47 prefectures are now under some type of emergency measures.

Eight prefectures were upgraded from quasi-emergency status to a full emergency.

They include Hokkaido and Miyagi in the north, Aichi and Gifu in central Japan, and Hiroshima and Okayama in the west.

Japan has weathered the pandemic better than many other countries, with around 15,600 deaths nationwide since the start.

But its vaccination efforts lag behind other wealthy nations, with 40% of the population fully vaccinated.