Osaka to ask residents to limit Tokyo travel amid planned virus emergency extension
(Mainichi Japan)
OSAKA -- Osaka Prefecture in west Japan is poised to ask residents to refrain from traveling east to Japan's capital region amid indications the Tokyo area will have its state of emergency over the coronavirus extended by around two weeks beyond March 7.
Responding to suggestions by the central government that it intends to extend the state of emergency declaration by two weeks or so for Tokyo and three surrounding prefectures, Osaka Gov. Hirofumi Yoshimura revealed on March 4 that he intends to call for Osaka Prefecture residents to refrain from travel to and from the areas still under restriction.
Gov. Yoshimura said, "Although Osaka and the capital region are some distance from each other, there is much movement to and from the areas. We want to suppress the spread of infections."
(Japanese original by Yumi Shibamura, Osaka City News Department)