The Japanese government placed Tokyo under the fourth COVID-19 state of emergency on Monday through Aug. 22 to contain the spread of infections.

Restaurants and bars in Tokyo that serve alcohol will be asked to close again. In the Tokyo Olympics, set to kick off on July 23, spectators will be banned from venues in the capital and neighboring Saitama, Chiba and Kanagawa prefectures as well as Hokkaido and Fukushima Prefecture.

The government extended the state of emergency for Okinawa Prefecture and pre-emergency measures for Saitama, Chiba, Kanagawa and Osaka prefectures, which had been scheduled to expire on Sunday, until Aug. 22.

In Okinawa, restaurants and bars that serve alcohol continue to be asked to shut. Serving alcohol is also banned in the pre-emergency stage, but prefectural governors are allowed to ease the restrictions at their own discretion.

The pre-emergency designation of the prefectures of Hokkaido, Aichi, Kyoto, Hyogo and Fukuoka was lifted at midnight Sunday (3 p.m. GMT).

JIJI Press