Coronavirus cases are surging in Japan and South Korea, reaching levels not seen in months, as the weather turns colder and people gather indoors.
Japan on Friday reported 1,649 new cases, an all-time high, surpassing the previous daily record set on Aug. 7.
Clusters of infections have been linked to a wide range of places, including restaurants, offices, nursing homes and hospitals across Japan. The hardest hit areas in the latest wave of infections are Tokyo and Osaka, as well as Aichi prefecture—which includes the city of Nagoya—and the northern island of Hokkaido.
On Friday, Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga urged people to take preventive measures against the virus, warning that the upward trend in new cases was intensifying. Despite the rising caseloads, Mr. Suga said there wasn’t yet a need to issue a new state of emergency.
South Korea has also kept its current social-distancing measures in place, despite a sharp rise in cases. On Friday, it reported 191 new infections—its highest number in 70 days.
Health officials are concerned about large gatherings planned for this weekend in Seoul and other cities by labor and civic groups—which could total about 100,000 attendees. On Friday, Seoul rolled out a new mask mandate that applies to outdoor rallies as well public transportation and certain indoor venues, with violators liable to fines of about $90.
“If the current trend continues, we have to seriously consider raising social distancing restrictions,” Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said Friday during a meeting with health officials.
— Miho Inada, Timothy W. Martin
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November 13, 2020 at 05:39PM
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