If a state of emergency is declared, it would not be a formal lockdown and would mostly depend on voluntary compliance by businesses and residents. Japan has recorded a total of 238,012 Covid-19 cases and 3,514 deaths. Tokyo reported a record 1,337 new infections on Thursday, and the nation has reported a daily average of nearly 3,000 cases over the past week. Public health experts have expressed concern as Japan added 100,000 new cases in less than six weeks, after taking nearly eight months to get to its first 100,000 cases. Deaths have also been rising rapidly, with the total number having doubled in the past two months.

Source: New York Times January 02, 2021 11:15 UTC