Experts Sign Off Plan To Lift State Of Emergency
A coronavirus advisory panel for the government has agreed to a plan to lift the state of emergency for the Tokyo area. The declaration, covering Tokyo and three neighboring prefectures, has been in place for over two months.
Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide has said he would like to end it, as scheduled, on Sunday.
The government told the panel on Thursday that strain on the healthcare system is easing even though the recent case numbers have been less encouraging.
The latest data for Tokyo shows cases reported during a seven-day period through Tuesday were 10 percent higher than the previous week.
Japanese Economic Revitalization Minister Nishimura Yasutoshi, who is in charge of the country's coronavirus response, said on Thursday morning, "The number of coronavirus infections has been on a slight increase, which means there could be another new outbreak. That's why we have to take measures so there won't be a major outbreak."
Even if the emergency is lifted, the government will continue to ask restaurants and bars to close early, and companies to encourage remote work.
Large-scale testing will be carried out in major cities to identify carriers without symptoms, and control the spread in urban areas.
Later on Thursday, the government will present the plan to the steering committees of both chambers of the Diet, at which point lawmakers can ask questions.
After that, the government will make a formal decision at a meeting of its task force.
Prime Minister Suga will then hold a news conference to explain the decision, and what comes next.