Japan on Wednesday widened COVID-19 curbs to the capital Tokyo and a dozen regions covering half the population as the Omicron variant of coronavirus drove record new infections. Already in effect in three regions, the measures, set to run from Friday until Feb. 13, were made official by Prime Minister Fumio Kishida after getting the sign-off from an expert panel earlier in the day. “We are battling against an unknown virus, and I hope that we can overcome this situation with sufficient preparation and without excessive fear,” Kishida said. The quasi-emergency measures, as they are called, permit governors to limit mobility and business activities, by shortening the operating hours of bars and restaurants, and barring sales of alcohol. “While the measures won’t be as effective as when numbers were smaller, I think they still can mitigate things,” said Gautam Deshpande, a doctor at St. […]