TOKYO (JAPAN) – Local media on Thursday reported that Tokyo governor Yuriko Koike is slated to urge residents to stay at home as much as possible during the upcoming major holiday.
During the Obon festival, when Japanese believe that the spirits of the departed return from the beyond to visit their loved ones, people travel from the city to their hometowns to visit cemeteries and spend time with family.
With infections hitting record heights around the country, many governors have declared states of emergency in their prefectures.
“We are not currently in a situation where we need a new state of emergency,” Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said.
Over the past week, the country has reported 1,300 new COVID-19 cases each day on an average and the number of cases has risen to 43,500. It has recorded just over 1,000 deaths.
Later on Thursday, the governor will ask residents of the Japanese capital to limit travel outside the city as much as possible, Fuji News Network said.
(Photos syndicated via Reuters)
This story has been edited by BH staff and is published from a syndicated field