Japan health minister cautions against Tokyo’s increasing infections

Although the rise in daily infections in the capital is not as sharp as in prefectures recently placed under quasi-emergency measures against COVID-19 including Osaka and Miyagi, the current situation warrants «extreme caution» because a sharp rebound in the Tokyo metropolitan area could affect the whole nation, Tamura told a press conference.
Under the measures implemented in Osaka, Hyogo and Miyagi prefectures to stem the rise in infections, restaurants and bars in six major cities are asked to close by 8 p.m. and could be slapped with a fine of up to 200,000 yen ($1,800) for noncompliance.
On Monday, Osaka Prefecture reported 341 new virus cases, topping Tokyo's 249.
The number of infections in Tokyo has been trending upward since mid-March.