at 18:30 (JST), May 28

 

Asian View

"Asian View" is a five-minute news segment broadcast by NHK WORLD-JAPAN. It features the latest news and deep analysis from Japan and the rest of Asia. Listen to “Asian View" and get the latest information from a region that's playing an increasingly important role in the world.

https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/upld/medias/en/radio/news/20210528183000_english_1.mp3


Key words : extend measures 8 other
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20210527_29/

The Japanese government seems ready to extend coronavirus emergency measures in Tokyo and 8 other prefectures for another three weeks.

Emergency declarations for those areas are set to expire on Monday. Officials plan to extend it to June 20, the day Okinawa's emergency is set to end.

Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide suggested he will make a final decision on Friday after consulting a panel of experts.

Tokyo's battle against the virus has seen slow results.
While new infections are declining, the daily average for the past week remains high, at around 600.

Experts suggest over 80 percent were infected by a more contagious strain first found in the UK.
Even more concerning is a cluster of infections linked to a variant that has crippled hospitals in India.
Given situations abroad, experts warn that strain could become more common.

Tokyo Governor Koike Yuriko said, "We're still at the beginning of our vaccination rollout so we have no choice but to continue to take thorough anti-virus measures."

Osaka has also been hit hard in recent months.
Officials there say they hope to keep urging bars and restaurants not to serve alcohol as part of efforts to control the spread.

Osaka Governor Yoshimura Hirofumi said, "I know it's tough for those establishments, but many people have been infected while out drinking."

The government is pressing ahead with its vaccination rollout which has been the slowest among the G7 nations.

About 300 universities across the country are offering up their campuses as inoculation sites.

Health authorities across Japan confirmed more than 4,100 new cases on Thursday and 111 deaths.

Key words : health experts indoor
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20210528_03/

Four US public health experts have urged improvements in anti-coronavirus protocols compiled for participants in this summer's Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics.

The experts released an article in the New England Journal of Medicine on Tuesday. They include University of Minnesota Regents Professor Michael Osterholm, who belonged to President Joe Biden's Transition COVID-19 Advisory Board.

The article referred to the Tokyo 2020 Playbooks, which outline anti-coronavirus rules for the Games' participants. They were jointly developed by the International Olympic Committee, the International Paralympic Committee and the Tokyo Games organizing committee.

The article says the "playbooks are not built on scientifically rigorous risk assessment."

The experts say "the IOC plans to provide every athlete with a smartphone that has mandatory contact-tracing and health-reporting apps." But they caution that "very few Olympic athletes will compete carrying a mobile phone."

The article points out that the playbooks should classify events, depending on whether they take place indoors or outdoors and whether they require close contact.

The experts say "some Paralympic athletes could be in a higher-risk category." They add they believe the playbooks do not adequately protect "thousands of people -- including trainers, volunteers, officials and transport and hotel employees."

The experts "recommend that the WHO immediately convene an emergency committee" to advise on a risk-management approach for the Tokyo Games. They say the committee should include infectious disease experts and athlete representatives.

The final versions of the playbooks are scheduled to be published next month.

Key words : hong kong police again banned
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20210527_25/

Hong Kong police have again banned the June 4 annual vigil that commemorates China's military crackdown on pro-democracy activists in 1989.

Public debate on the Tiananmen incident in Beijing has been taboo in mainland China.

But a civic group in Hong Kong had held the annual vigil on June 4, which is the anniversary of the deadly crackdown on the student-led movement, to remember the victims and call on authorities to shed light on the incident.

Last year, Hong Kong police for the first time banned the group from holding the event. They cited the spread of the coronavirus.

On Thursday, the police informed the organizers that they will not permit the annual vigil this year again, citing the pandemic.

The security chief of the territory, John Lee Ka-chiu, warned that those who participate will be considered violating law.

The warning comes after a court in Hong Kong handed down prison terms to four pro-democracy activists, including Joshua Wong, for participating last year in an unauthorized memorial for the Tiananmen incident.

The Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China which organizes the vigil issued a statement saying that the group will continue to fight for the right of citizens to mourn the June 4 lawfully.

The memorial was also planned in nearby Macao, where a "one country two systems" framework similar to Hong Kong is introduced.

But police in Macao have banned this year's event, saying such a gathering is illegal as it would infringe the sovereignty. Last year, Macao police cited the spread of the coronavirus.

Key words : taiwan prevent brain drain
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