The Japanese government on Friday declared a state of emergency against COVID-19 in three prefectures neighboring Tokyo – Chiba, Kanagawa and Saitama – and Osaka Prefecture, running from August 2 to 31.

A quasi-state of emergency with loose restrictive measures will also be put in place for Hokkaido, Ishikawa, Hyogo, Kyoto and Fukuoka, with the same period of effective time. 

Tokyo and Okinawa, which are already under virus emergency measures, will see their deadline of August 22 extended to the end of the month, the government said. 

The announcement came after nationwide daily virus cases in Japan topped 10,000 for the first time on Thursday and a string of government officials and health experts have warned that the more contagious Delta variant is fueling a dangerous surge. 

(With input from AFP)