Aichi Prefecture on Friday declared a state of emergency independently to step up its fight against the spread of the new coronavirus.

The declaration, which is not based on a specific law or linked with the national government's emergency declaration, urges residents of the central Japan prefecture to avoid going out for nonessential purposes.

It will be effective until May 6, when the Golden Week holiday period ends.

The closure of elementary and junior high schools as well as prefectural senior high schools will be extended until May 6.

The Aichi government decided to issue its own emergency declaration at a meeting of its headquarters on measures against infectious diseases.

"We are in a critical situation as the number of coronavirus patients started surging in early April," Aichi Governor Hideaki Omura told the meeting.

"We ask for the support and cooperation of residents in order to overcome this difficult situation," he added.

On Tuesday, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe declared a state of emergency for Tokyo, Osaka and five other prefectures under a special measures law.

Aichi was not included because the increase in new infections was viewed as moderate and the proportion of cases with unknown infection routes as relatively small.

But since Tuesday, 20 or more infection cases have been reported in the prefecture per day. In view of this, the Aichi government issued its own declaration ahead of the weekend.

Aichi is asking the central government to add the prefecture to the list of regions covered by the prime minister's declaration.

The prefecture's declaration said residents should continue business operations necessary to maintain daily living.

The Aichi government vowed to support medical services and virus check systems while boosting efforts to prevent medical workers from becoming the subject of negative rumors related to the virus.

Aichi also launched emergency economic measures featuring expansion of a loan program. There is no plan at the moment to ask specific businesses to suspend operations.

"We should move in step with the seven prefectures" covered by the central government's declaration, Omura told a press conference, adding he will closely monitor further developments.

On Friday, the prefectural government of Gifu, Aichi's neighbor, also declared its own state of emergency.

Gifu Governor Hajime Furuta said the best defense against COVID-19 is refraining from going out and keeping distance from other people, calling on residents to exercise self-restraint.

Separately, Kyoto Governor Takatoshi Nishiwaki said Friday that he will ask the central government to add the western prefecture to the list of targets of the central government's declaration.

JIJI Press