Okinawa to Log Record 980 Daily COVID-19 Cases: Gov.

Naha, Okinawa Pref./Hiroshima, Jan. 6 (Jiji Press)--Okinawa Prefecture is expected to log around 980 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday, topping its existing daily record of 809 new cases, set on Aug. 25, 2021, according to Governor Denny Tamaki.

At a meeting of its coronavirus response headquarters on the day, the Okinawa prefectural government decided to ask the Japanese government to place the southern prefecture in the COVID-19 pre-emergency stage under a related law.

Meanwhile, the prefectural government of Hirosihma in western Japan said the same day that it made such a request to the central government, planning to implement pre-emergency measures in the cities of Hiroshima, Hatsukaichi and Otake and the towns of Fuchu and Kaita.

The Okinawa government hopes to curb people's movements by taking pre-emergency measures including a request to shorten opening hours at eating and drinking establishments.

"We can't expect improvement in (pandemic-related) figures," Tamaki told reporters following the headquarters meeting. "If we see infections spread further, we'd have no choice but to take even stricter measures."

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]