Nishimura: Govt. Stands Ready To Declare Emergency
Economic Revitalization Minister Nishimura Yasutoshi, who is in charge of Japan's coronavirus response, says the government stands ready to declare a state of emergency without hesitation, if needed, ahead of the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
The coronavirus state of emergency will be lifted at the end of Sunday for nine prefectures. Seven of them, including Tokyo and Osaka, will shift to more focused restrictions from Monday.
Okinawa will remain under a state of emergency through July 11.
In an NHK debate program on Sunday, Nishimura called for continued preventive measures, saying infections are bound to rise as more people start moving around in the metropolitan area, requiring strict measures be continued.
Referring to the forthcoming games, Nishimura said some analyses predict there will be an increase in infections. But others predict the number of serious cases will be contained thanks to vaccinations.
He said the government will keep a close watch on the state of medical care, and declare a state of emergency to protect people's lives, if needed.