Japan's Suga says government on high alert as Tokyo cases rise

[JAPAN] Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said the government must be on high alert as virus cases begin to rise in the capital, about three weeks before Tokyo hosts the Olympics.

"While there is a downward trend across the country as a whole, there is a slight upward trend in the capital region," Mr Suga told reporters Monday. "We must be on a high state of alert in dealing with the virus." He added that he would be nimble in adjusting policies to deal with the situation.

Case numbers in Tokyo have been creeping up over the past week, since Mr Suga lifted a state of emergency imposed to rein in infections. Any sharp increase could mean the emergency is reintroduced, further restricting residents' activities even while the games are taking place.

The seven-day moving average of new virus infections recorded in Tokyo rose to 477 on Sunday, compared with 388 the previous week.

Mr Suga's comments came as the capital's government announced Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike would take a few more days away from public duties on the advice of a doctor, extending an already week-long absence.n Monday saying they supported her.

Controversy continues to rage over the Olympics, which are set to open July 23. About 58 per cent of respondents to a Mainichi newspaper survey published on Monday said they opposed the games. Japan's Imperial Household Agency even weighed in, saying last week Emperor Naruhito may have concerns the Olympics could cause coronavirus infections to rise.

About 55 per cent of respondents to the Asahi survey said they approved of Ms Koike's handling of the virus, compared with 35 per cent who said they didn't. Asked about her handling of the Olympics, voters were evenly divided, with 42 per cent saying they approved and the same percentage disapproving.

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