Japan to lift Covid-19 state of emergency

Japan’s Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga (left) and President of the Japan Community Healthcare Organization Shigeru Omi hold a press conference in Tokyo on Tuesday. Pic/AFP

Japan's government announced Tuesday that the coronavirus state of emergency will end this week so the economy can be reactivated as infections slow. Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said the emergency will end Thursday and virus restrictions will be eased gradually "in order to resume daily lives despite the presence of the virus." He said the government will create more temporary Covid-19 treatment facilities and continue vaccinations to prepare for any future resurgence.

Government officials are also instituting other plans such as vaccine passports and virus tests, Suga said. With the lifting, Japan will be free of emergency requirements for the first time in more than six months. Japan's current state of emergency, declared in April, was repeatedly extended and expanded. Despite public weariness and frustration over the measures, Japan has managed to avoid the more restrictive lockdowns imposed elsewhere while recording about 1.69 million cases and 17,500 deaths from Covid-19.

The emergency has mainly involved requests for restaurants and bars to reduce their hours and not serve alcohol. Governors in Tokyo, Osaka, Hyogo and Kyoto have said they plan to keep those requests in place while closely monitoring the virus situation. Daily reported cases have fallen to around 2,000 nationwide - less than one-tenth of the mid-August peak. Experts attributed the declining numbers to the progress of vaccinations - 58% of the population is fully vaccinated - and to people increasing their social distancing efforts after being alarmed by the collapse of medical systems.

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2,86,460
No. of new cases reported globally in the past 24 hours

23,17,03,120
Total no. of cases worldwide

47,46,620
Total no. of deaths worldwide

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