The current state of emergency in the capital and eight other metropolitan areas will end next Monday, but hospitals in certain areas are still full of COVID-19 patients, with severe cases hitting new highs recently.

The 20-day extension covers nine regions, from Hokkaido in the north to Fukuoka in the south. As of October 20, the tenth district of the island prefecture in southern Okinawa has been in a state of emergency.

The Olympics will start on July 23

After banning overseas spectators from entering the Olympics a few months ago, Olympic organizers must decide at that time whether to allow any fans to participate. According to media reports, it is expected that Japanese athletes’ priority vaccination plan will begin around that time.

Delayed for a year due to the pandemic, the Olympics are scheduled to start on July 23. Concerns about new variants and the slow pace of vaccination in Japan have triggered calls from the public, medical experts and even sponsors to cancel the Olympics.

Experts warn that these variants are infecting more people, making them seriously ill, and flooding hospitals.

Due to bureaucratic and planning errors and shortages, Japan lags behind in vaccination. Only 2.3% of the population have received adequate vaccination, and the current phase for the elderly is not planned to be completed before the start of the Olympic Games.

Despite this, Suga and his government are determined to host the Olympics. The International Olympic Committee also stated that even if the host country Tokyo is taking emergency measures, the Olympics will continue.

According to reports, Japan has reported about 735,000 coronavirus cases and about 12,700 deaths. Johns Hopkins University’s case tracking tool.

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