TOKYO, Aug. 5 (Xinhua) -- The Japanese government decided Thursday to expand the COVID-19 quasi-state of emergency to eight more prefectures, with alcohol serving banned in principle, as the highly contagious Delta COVID-19 variant is spreading rapidly in these areas, local media reported Thursday.
The measure comes just after the government expanded the COVID-19 state of emergency to three prefectures neighboring the capital and western Osaka on Monday, in addition to Tokyo and Okinawa which is already in place, and imposed the quasi-emergency measure to five other prefectures through the end of August.
"Infections are spreading at an unprecedented level in the metropolitan area and elsewhere," Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said after finalizing the decision.
"With the increase of those infected, the number of patients in serious condition is also on the rise," Suga said, pointing out the Delta COVID-19 variant now is responsible for about 90 percent of COVID-19 cases in Tokyo and the proportion is also high in many other regions.
The move to add the eight prefectures, Fukushima, Ibaraki, Tochigi, Gunma, Shizuoka, Aichi, Shiga and Kumamoto, was finalized at a task force meeting, with anti-virus measures turning effective from Sunday through Aug. 31.
Yasutoshi Nishimura, minister in charge of Japan's COVID-19 response, said the figure of severely ill COVID-19 patients has doubled in Japan over the two previous weeks, putting stress on the medical system.
Under the quasi-state of emergency with fewer restrictions on business activity than the state of emergency, dining establishments not serving alcohol are asked to close at 8:00 p.m. local time.
