Asian View
Key words : declared effect on Friday
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20210107_42/
Japan's government has declared a state of emergency for Tokyo and three neighboring prefectures in an attempt to curb the rise in coronavirus cases.
Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide said, "The rapid spread of COVID-19 across the country has created a situation that could have a serious impact on people's lives and the economy. Therefore, I hereby declare a state of emergency based on the anti-virus law."
The declaration will cover Tokyo, Kanagawa, Saitama and Chiba prefectures. It will go into effect on Friday and remain in place until February 7.
A state of emergency is less strict in Japan than in many western countries. Prefectural governors will have the legal authority to urge residents to cooperate with prevention efforts.
Bars and restaurants will be asked to close by 8 p.m. and to stop serving alcohol an hour earlier. Residents will also be asked to refrain from non-essential outings after 8 p.m.
Companies will be asked to encourage remote work, and reduce the number of staff in their offices by 70 percent.
The number of spectators at live events will be limited to half of the available seats... and no greater than 5,000.
Schools, however, will not be asked to close.
Following the declaration the Prime Minister held a news conference to ask for cooperation.
Suga said, "The coronavirus pandemic is becoming worse than we had ever imagined. But I believe we can overcome this situation. To accomplish this, we have no choice but to ask you to once again restrict your lifestyle. We are determined to improve the situation within the next month. As prime minister, I will do my utmost and take every possible measure to prevent the spread of infection."
Suga added the government hopes to start vaccinations by late next month. He also said he's determined to hold the postponed Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics in the summer.
This is the second state of emergency declaration for the greater Tokyo area and comes amid a surge in daily cases. On Thursday daily cases in Japan surpassed 7,000 for the first time.
About half of that figure comes from the Tokyo area. Officials in the capital confirmed a record 2,447 new cases on Thursday. 121 people are now in serious condition....the highest figure to date.
Meanwhile, the governor of Osaka says he plans to ask the central government to declare a state of emergency for the western prefecture.
Governor Yoshimura Hirofumi said, "There are clear signs that infections are spreading rapidly. We should take preemptive measures."
Yoshimura says he wants to coordinate Osaka's response with neighboring Hyogo and Kyoto prefectures.
Key words : opposition leaders
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20210107_02/
Opposition leaders in Hong Kong have condemned the arrests of 53 pro-democracy activists on suspicion of violating the national security law for the territory.
The 53 were arrested on Wednesday on subversion charges linked to an unofficial vote organized by pro-democracy activists to choose candidates for a Legislative Council election that was to be held last September but was postponed.
Pro-democracy groups say the arrested include Wu Chi Wai, a former Legislative Council member and former head of the Democratic Party.
Beijing's office in Hong Kong disclosed the arrest of University of Hong Kong Associate Professor Benny Tai, one of the organizers of the unofficial primaries.
Democratic Party Chairman Lo Kin-hei told reporters on Tuesday that the government chose not to listen to citizens, but instead, opted to use "a draconian law to take revenge on political leaders being supported by the citizens." The arrested suspects include seven Democratic Party members.
Raphael Wong, who heads a pro-democracy group, told reporters that group members must raise voices of opposition at a time when many citizens are angry and hurt.
Key words : China negotiating
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20210106_39/
A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson has indicated Beijing and the World Health Organization are still negotiating the timing of a visit by a group of international experts to the country.
The WHO hoped to dispatch the team to China this week to probe coronavirus origins and what happened during the early stages of the outbreak there.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Tuesday that he was "very disappointed" that China had not finalized necessary permissions for two of the team members' entry.
Foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying acknowledged at a news conference on Wednesday the disappointment expressed by Tedros. She explained there may have been "misunderstanding" in the talks between China and the WHO.
Calling the issue of coronavirus origins "very complex," Hua said both sides are still in discussions to ensure the team's investigation will proceed smoothly.
Hua sought understanding by saying Chinese health officials and experts are busy dealing with sporadic cases of coronavirus infections inside the country.
Key words : researchers in Japan
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20210107_03/
NHK has learned researchers in Japan have developed a method to enable swift detection of coronavirus variants that have been spreading rapidly in Britain and South Africa.
Reading the genetic code of the virus currently requires the use of special sequencing equipment. The process takes more than half a day.
Scientists at the National Institute of Infectious Diseases have developed a faster method using PCR testing technology that will allow them to confirm N501Y mutations.
They say the process takes only several hours, and it will be possible to check a large number of samples using existing PCR testing equipment.
The director of the institute's Influenza Virus Research Center, Hasegawa Hideki, told NHK that more work will be done to make the procedure more precise so the system can be utilized to strengthen monitoring systems.
Key words : analyst
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20210106_17/
Analysts in Japan say the country's economy will shrink by up to 0.9 percent annually, if a state of emergency is declared for Tokyo and surrounding prefectures.
The estimates from 5 private-sector firms, range from a 0.3 percent decline in GDP to a 0.88 percent contraction. That's assuming the emergency measures last for a month.
The analysts say consumer spending would plunge as people would be urged to stay at home as much as possible. And restaurants would have to cut their opening hours.
The Dai-ichi Life Research Institute is predicting the loss of 75,000 jobs over the six months following the emergency declaration.
Nomura Securities, Nomura Research Institute, and Daiwa Institute of Research all say there's a strong possibility the economy will shrink during the first three months of this year.
Key words : sanma
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20210107_20/
The catch of a fish that's one of Japan's most popular fall foods hit a record low last year. Hauls of Pacifc saury, or "Sanma", plunged as their numbers diminished.
About 29,500 tons of Pacific saury were brought to ports across Japan during the main fishing season from August to December.
That's down 27 percent from 2019, and the worst year since recordkeeping began in 1961.
The reduced catch saw the average wholesale price shoot up 50 percent from a year ago to about 47 dollars for 10 kilograms.
An industry group says the fish are declining in numbers, and fewer came into Japan's coastal waters last year.
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