Coronavirus: Japan declares state of emergency for Tokyo

Japan has banned spectators at Olympics venues in Tokyo after a state of emergency was imposed for the city, organizing chief Seiko Hashimoto said on Thursday.

The state of emergency is set to go into effect on Monday.

The Tokyo Games, scheduled from July 23 to August 8, are being held after a delay despite opposition from medical experts and the majority of the public. 

The move comes amid fears of an ongoing surge in infections.

Japan had already banned overseas spectators and set a cap on domestic viewers at 50% of capacity, up to 10,000 people.

Here's a rundown of the latest coronavirus news from around the world:

Asia-Pacific

Australia's state of New South Wales saw its biggest increase in daily cases of COVID-19 this year.

The spike in cases comes despite two weeks of hard lockdown in the state capital, Sydney, where officials were considering a further extension in restrictions.

NSW reported 38 new cases on Thursday, compared to 27 a day earlier.

South Korea reported its highest-ever one-day spike in new COVID-19 cases, with officials looking at a possible lockdown in the capital, Seoul.

The 1,275 new cases on Thursday exceed the previous one-day record increase of 1,240 seen on Christmas Day.

Around 80% of the cases were recorded in the greater Seoul area which has emerged as the epicenter of the latest outbreak in the country.

India reported 45,892 new cases in the last 24 hours, according to the country's health ministry. It also reported 817 additional deaths, taking the total fatalities to 405,028.

India's official death toll is widely believed to an undercount, with actual figures suspected to be several times higher.

Vietnam's capital city Hanoi has suspended public passenger transport services to and from 14 provinces impacted by COVID-19. 

Authorities have urged people in Hanoi to stay home and leave only when necessary. 

The rise in coronavirus cases in Vietnam has prompted organizers to postpone the Southeast Asian Games, which were due to be held in Hanoi and 11 other locations from November 21 to December 2. Vietnam has offered to host the regional Olympics in April or May next year. 

Indonesia has recorded a new daily record on Thursday, with 38,391 new COVID infections and 852 deaths, the country's second-highest death toll, Reuters news agency reported, citing official data.

The country has been struggling to contain the recent sharp rise in infections. 

Europe

Germany plans to classify the whole of Spain as a coronavirus risk area, according to a report in the Funke group of newspapers.

This move would mean that everyone traveling from Spain would have to present a negative test on arrival to be released from quarantine.

The COVID-19 seven day infection rate in Spain doubled to 252 cases per 100,000 people from 117 last week as the Delta variant led to a large spread of the infection among 20-year-olds.

France's European Affairs Minister Clement Beaune advised French people to avoid Spain and Portugal for their summer holidays in light of the fast-spreading delta variant.

The highly contagious variant now represents around 40% of new infections in France, a government spokesman said.

Xavier Bettel, prime minister of Luxembourg, was released from the hospital Thursday after four days of treatment for COVID-19. Bettel tested positive for coronavirus in late June, was hospitalized on Sunday and will resume his duties from home quarantine beginning this Friday.   

The COVID-19 situation in the Russian capital Moscow is stabilizing after a spike in cases, but the new daily infections remain high nationwide on Thursday, Reuters quoted  Moscow's mayor as saying. 

Russia has seen a recent surge in infections blamed on the more contiguous Delta variant. On Thursday, Russia recorded 24,818 new cases, including 6,040 in Moscow, and 734 deaths, according to Reuters.

UK Finance Minister Rishi Sunak sympathized with the people in self-isolation after they have been in contact with someone infected with COVID-19.

He added that the health secretary was looking at the most appropriate balance for self-isolation.

"I appreciate people's frustration with this. It's part of what I and the prime minister call a balanced approach. We want to make sure we see an appropriate degree of caution," he told British network Sky News. 

Greece is set to announce mandatory vaccinations for specific professional groups next week, officials said Thursday, amid a rise in COVID infections. 

Last month, Greece's bio-ethics committee advised compulsory jabs for health workers and staff at elderly care facilities.

The European Commission approved a €1.2 billion ($1.42 billion) COVID recovery plan for Cyprus to spend for restarting its pandemic-hit economy.

The aid, which Cyprus won't have to pay back, is part of the EU's unprecedented economic stimulus totalling 800 billion euros to be distributed among the 27 member states.

fb, adi/dj (Reuters, AP, AFP)