Apr 11 (Japan Times) - The Kyoto Prefectural Government will ask the central government to add it to regions placed under a state of emergency amid the coronavirus epidemic, Gov. Takatoshi Nishiwaki said Friday.
Nishiwaki announced the plan as the number of people infected with the virus has topped 160 in the prefecture, one of the top tourist destinations in Japan. Kyoto is also adjacent to Osaka and Hyogo prefectures, which are already covered by the emergency declaration.
“(We are) in a severe situation,†Nishiwaki told a news conference, noting that infection routes of Kyoto has confirmed 165 coronavirus cases. On Thursday, the first death from the virus was reported.
Nishiwaki said his prefecture has the fifth-highest number of coronavirus cases per 10,000 people.
In addition, the number of cases whose infection routes are unknown is increasing, accounting for nearly 50 percent of the total, he said.
The governor reiterated his request that residents refrain from leaving home for nonessential purposes. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Tuesday declared a state of emergency for Tokyo, Osaka and five prefectures with big urban populations that have been grappling with a recent sharp uptrend in the number of new cases.
Speaking at the same news conference, Kyoto Mayor Daisaku Kadokawa called for restraint on sightseeing trips to the city until the virus is under control.
In a related development, Aichi Prefecture, home to Toyota Motor Corp.’s headquarters and manufacturing facilities, declared its own monthlong state of emergency Friday afternoon and requested that people refrain from making nonessential outings and visits to the seven regions placed under the central government’s state of emergency declaration. Aichi’s governor has asked the central government to add it to the list.
The closure request for elementary, junior high and prefectural high schools in the prefecture will be extended until May 6.
