TOKYO (AP) — Japan has declared a state of emergency for Tokyo and three nearby areas as coronavirus cases continue to surge, hitting a daily record of 2,447 in the capital.
Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga issued the declaration at the government task force for the coronavirus. It kicks in Friday until Feb. 7, and centers around asking restaurants and bars to close at 8 p.m. and people to stay home and not mingle in crowds.
The declaration carries no penalties. But it works as a strong request while Japan juggles to keep the economy going.
People wearing protective masks to help curb the spread of the coronavirus walk along pedestrian crossings in the Shibuya area of Tokyo Thursday, Jan. 7, 2021. The Japanese capital confirmed more than 2000 new coronavirus cases on Thursday. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko) 
Pedestrians walk past a public TV with a live broadcast of a news conference by Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga after he declared a state of emergency Thursday, Jan. 7, 2021 in Tokyo. Suga declared a state of emergency Thursday for Tokyo and three other prefectures to ramp up defenses against the spread of the coronavirus. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko) 
A woman wearing a face mask as a precaution against the coronavirus clears snow at a shopping street in Seoul, South Korea, Thursday, Jan. 7, 2021. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon) 
A medical worker in a booth takes a sample from a man at a coronavirus testing site in Seoul, South Korea, Thursday, Jan. 7, 2021. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon) 
In this photo released by Xinhua News Agency, a medical staff in a protective suit takes a swab from a resident at a community center in Shijiazhuang in north China’s Hebei province on Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021. Lockdown measures were being imposed in a northern Chinese province where coronavirus cases more than doubled in the region near Beijing that’s due to host some events in next year’s Winter Olympics. (Wang Xiao/Xinhua via AP)
Shopping malls and schools will remain open. Movie theaters, museums and other events will be asked to reduce attendance. Places that defy the request will get publicized on a list, while those that comply will be eligible for aid, according to officials.
Coronavirus cases have been increasing in Japan after the year-end and New Year’s holidays.
