Japan is urging the public to step up its compliance with a partial lockdown amid concerns it could leave the country stuck in the worst of both worlds: forcing the economy to a standstill without halting the spread of coronavirus.
Railway passenger numbers and mobile phone tracking data suggest 60 per cent to 70 per cent fewer journeys were taken in the seven prefectures where a state of emergency was declared last week, but experts fear that may not be enough to halt transmission of the disease.
They are worried that Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s efforts to tackle Covid-19 without a full lockdown will slow the outbreak but not stop it, making it difficult to return to normal and prolonging the period of harm to the economy.