Tokyo asks govt to declare state of emergency over COVID-19

The governments of Tokyo and three neighboring prefectures have askedthe central government to declare a state of emergency for the Japanese capital, reported NHK on Saturday.

The request was filed jointly by Tokyo and neighboring Saitama, Chiba, and Kanagawa prefectures as the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases soar despite Tokyo's appeal to the public to stay home.

The tally of new COVID-19 cases in Tokyo on New Year's Eve was as high as 1,337.