[앵커]
With the number of Corona 19 deaths exceeding 5,000 in Japan, the likelihood of extending the emergency is growing.
If this happens, the controversy over hosting the Olympics is expected to intensify at home and abroad.
Let’s look at the situation in Japan. Correspondent Lee Kyung-ah!
The emergency issuance period is scheduled until the 7th of next month.
It’s been more than two weeks since it was announced, and is the spread of the infection subside?
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In Japan, on the 8th, the first day of emergencies, after recording the highest number with 7,800 infected people nationwide, there is a tendency to decrease gradually.
However, the effects of shortening sales and requesting restraint from going out have not met the expectations of the Japanese government.
Yesterday, Saturday, there were 4,700 new confirmed cases all over the country.
The cumulative number of deaths exceeded 5,000.
On November 24, last year, the number of deaths surged to nearly 3,000 in just two months after exceeding 2,000.
Tokyo, which has the most patients, had more than a thousand infected people on the 11th day.
The Japanese government has said that in order to lift the emergency, the number of infected people in Tokyo must fall to 500 or less.
Now, there are more than twice as many infected people.
This is fueling the prospect that it will be difficult to lift the emergency on the 7th of next month.
Government officials, such as the Minister in charge of Corona 19 Nishimura, said they will decide whether to cancel it by comprehensively considering the number of infected people as well as the situation of medical institutions.
It is because there are cases of dying in the air because there are no hospital rooms, and general medical treatment other than Corona is also causing a big setback, so it will take some time for the situation to improve.
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There are many prospects that it will be difficult to hold the summit of the Tokyo Olympics due to the coronavirus situation in Japan and abroad.
Wouldn’t this skepticism grow even more if the emergency was extended?
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As it is difficult to expect a significant effect in a week or two, Japanese media are reporting the possibility of an extension of an additional month.
If this happens, the emergency will continue until the beginning of March.
In March, the IOC general meeting is held and the Olympic torch relay begins, but there are many prospects that if the emergency continues to the very end, it will be a fatal blow to the Olympics.
Anxiety is also spreading among the players who will participate in the tournament.
Asahi Shimbun conducted a survey of 40 athletes who were decided to participate in the Olympics, and half of the respondents said they were “anxious” about the event this year.
Even if the event is held, there are concerns about the possibility that the infection will spread due to the Olympics and that the atmosphere may subside and support may not be received.
The Tokyo newspaper reported that volunteers who recently decided to participate in the Olympics have quit.
Influential politicians such as Osaka Governor Yoshimura are also calling for postponement or cancellation.
After last week’s British media reported that the Japanese government had already decided to cancel the Olympics internally, it is an accepted atmosphere that it is difficult to hold the summit of the Olympics.
The Japanese government and the IOC are in a position that they want to avoid cancellations while reviewing the game without spectators.
However, it remains to be seen whether it can provide a convincing answer to the world about why the Olympics should be held amid the coronavirus pandemic.
This is YTN Lee Kyung-ah from Tokyo.
[저작권자(c) YTN & YTN plus 무단전재 및 재배포 금지]