Japan Mulls Ending State Of Emergency
The Japanese government is considering whether to end the state of emergency amid the coronavirus pandemic in some areas before March 7.
Ten prefectures, including Tokyo, are under the state of emergency that is scheduled to end on March 7.
Japanese Health Minister Tamura Norihisa said, "It's true the number of new cases has fallen from its peak. If the state of emergency continues for too long, it will cause social as well as economic problems. A final decision will be made after considering various factors."
The number of daily new infections has been on a downward trend across Japan. Health authorities reported more than 1,600 new cases on Sunday.
But there is no sign of a decrease in coronavirus fatalities. Daily death tolls have remained at high levels since a record 120 were reported on February 3.
An increasing number of cases are being reported at facilities for the elderly across the nation.
Kutsuna Satoshi of the National Center for Global Health and Medicine said, "More people at high risk of developing serious symptoms are becoming infected. The decline in new cases should not be interpreted as a lighter strain on medical institutions."
Health ministry officials want the ten prefectures covered by the state of emergency to carry out intensive virus testing at elderly care facilities.