The effectiveness of the latest state of emergency has come into question amid a continuing surge of COVID-19 cases, but Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga has maintained the government is not planning to impose a stringent lockdown.
Japan is enduring a fifth wave of infections, with the nationwide daily count topping 10,000 for the first time on Thursday as the more contagious delta variant spreads.
The situation is especially grave in Tokyo, which has logged more than 3,000 cases for four straight days through Saturday, including a record 4,058 on Saturday. The daily count is rising even though Tokyo has been under a state of emergency since July 12.
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