Japan PM Suga shies away from calling state of emergency as coronavirus cases rise

Dec 22, 2020 | News On Japan

Dec 22, 2020 (Reuters) - Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga reiterated there was no need for Japan to call a national state of emergency, even as healthcare authorities declared their own state of emergency for the medical system as coronavirus infection rates continue to rise.

Suga said the head of the governmentâ€™s expert panel on the coronavirus pandemic had told him â€œweâ€™re not there yetâ€ with regards to calling a state of emergency.

â€œWe need to show the results of our coronavirus countermeasures,â€ Suga said during an interview on national television late on Monday. â€œIâ€™ll spearhead the effort with a mindset to do everything that must be done.â€

Sugaâ€™s approval ratings have been falling, with polls showing the public disapproves of how he has handled the pandemic, in particular his â€œGo To Travelâ€ domestic tourism campaign that some blame for the rise in infections.

Support for his cabinet tumbled to 39% from 56% a month earlier, a weekend Asahi newspaper poll showed, with 79% of respondents saying his decision to pause the â€œGo To Travelâ€ campaign came too late.

A group of national medical associations called their own state of medical emergency on Monday, warning the system was under considerable strain from the pandemic.

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