The Japanese government plans to expand a state of emergency it declared for the Tokyo area last week to seven more prefectures, media reported, as the public’s hopes for a Summer Olympics fade with the steady spread of Covid-19.

The move comes after the governors of Osaka, Kyoto and other hard-hit prefectures requested the government issue the emergency state, which gives local authorities the legal basis to place restrictions on residents’ movements and businesses.

Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga has been wary about taking measures that would hamper economic activity, while he has put on a brave face against the mounting challenges of hosting the delayed Olympics in Tokyo this year.