Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga declared a state of emergency for Tokyo and surrounding prefectures this month. Unlike in many other countries with mandatory lockdowns, Japanese authorities legally can only urge people to stay at home and businesses to close. “There are people who can’t have dinner until after 8 pm, including me,” Hamazono said, citing his working hours. Authorities have worried about the potential spread of infection at bars and restaurants. The government is considering an amendment to give authorities more power to enforce a lockdown, the minister in charge of administrative and regulatory reform, Taro Kono, told Reuters on Thursday.

Source: bd News24 January 17, 2021 04:30 UTC