LIVE — Covid-19: still nearly 6,000 people in intensive care, 309 deaths in 24 hours

CORONAVIRUS — The number of Covid-19 patients hospitalized in intensive care continues to approach the threshold of 6,000 people, while the number of patients and new cases is stabilizing at a high level, according to figures published by Public Health France. Here is the latest info on the epidemic.

Covid-19: in Japan, new state of emergency three months before the Tokyo Olympics
Faced with a sharp upsurge in the coronavirus, the Japanese government on Friday declared a new state of emergency in Tokyo and three other prefectures. The measures will be stricter than in January.

The Japanese government declared on Friday April 23 a new state of emergency in Tokyo and three other departments of Japan, three months before the start of the Olympic Games (Olympics) scheduled in the Japanese capital, in the face of a sharp local upsurge of the coronavirus. “Today, we have decided to declare a state of emergency in the prefectures of Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka and Hyogo,” said Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, referring to the increase in variants in new infections.

The measures will be stricter than the previous state of emergency imposed on parts of the country in January, while remaining much lighter than lockdowns in other parts of the world for more than a year. Establishments serving alcohol (restaurants, bars, karaoke, etc.) will have to close their doors from this Sunday until May 11, as well as shopping centers and department stores.

“We have a strong sense of crisis,” said the Japanese minister in charge of the fight against the virus, Yasutoshi Nishimura earlier today. We will not be able to contain the variants that have potent infectious capacities unless we take stronger action than so far. “

No impact on the Olympics, according to the authorities
According to local media, the measures, which will coincide with the “Golden Week” holidays, a period of the year when Japanese people usually travel a lot, could involve the suspension of certain train and bus lines to limit mobility.

Authorities in the relevant prefectures are also likely to ban spectators from entering sporting events, but officials have insisted the emergency measures will have no impact on the organization of the Tokyo Olympics.

The Japanese archipelago, which very quickly closed its borders in 2020, experienced a relatively limited health crisis, with less than 10,000 deaths linked to Covid-19 officially recorded since January 2020. But infections have increased during the winter, despite a second state of emergency in much of the country, and rebounded again after the mechanism was lifted in March. Authorities in Osaka, the current worst-affected prefecture, said local health facilities were already overwhelmed.

Read also Tokyo Olympics: first case of Covid-19 during the Olympic torch relay
Vaccination in Japan is progressing at a sluggish pace, between medical caution, regulatory brakes and red tape: less than 1% of the population has been vaccinated so far. The organizers of the Olympics nevertheless assure that the pace of the deployment will not have an impact on the event. They have already banned visitors from overseas, and have yet to decide how many local spectators can be admitted.

“We will be able to organize the Games even without vaccination,” Tokyo Olympic Director General Toshiro Muto told reporters on Wednesday. Of course, if vaccines are available, that would be an advantage (…). But as far as we are concerned, regardless of the vaccine, we will take strong measures against Covid-19 to be able to organize the Games. “