Japan's failure to sufficiently stem the spread of the coronavirus under a state of emergency has led to an unexpectedly sharp rise in the number of new cases in Osaka, forcing Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga to designate the western prefecture and two other areas for stricter measures against COVID-19.Suga was initially reluctant to designate the coronavirus semi-emergency status to the prefectures of Osaka, neighboring Hyogo and Miyagi in the northeastern region, according to people familiar with his thinking.He apparently feared such a decision would fan criticism that he was too quick to …READ FULL ARTICLE
