Japan is seeing a surge in coronavirus cases across the country. Daily cases topped 3,000 for the first time on Saturday. The spread of infections will likely affect the way people spend the year-end holidays.
The minister in charge of the COVID-19 response said the government is approaching the situation with a sense of extreme urgency.
Nishimura Yasutoshi said, I share a sense of crisis that we need to further strengthen measures while working closely with the governors of areas where infections are spreading. The government will do its utmost to implement measures for the four regions of Hokkaido, the Tokyo metropolitan area, the Chubu and Kansai region.