Just weeks before the start of the Tokyo Olympic Games, the Japanese capital will go into a ‘short and powerful’ state of emergency. It will also apply to Osaka and two other prefectures.
It is expected to last to 11 May. All restaurants and bars are closed and all sports events must take place without any spectators, Economy Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura said.
It may the last chance to bring Covid infections down low enough for a safe Olympics, which will be held without any foreign fans.
"We absolutely have to limit the movement of people, and we have to do it decisively. We need powerful, short and focused measures," he said.
