THE The Japanese government is about to end its coronavirus emergency in five city halls on Friday, a week ahead of schedule, after a dramatic drop in new cases across the country.
Emergency measures, including requests to close bars and restaurants at 8 pm, are expected to be suspended in the prefectures of Osaka, Kyoto, Hyogo, Aichi and Gifu, government sources quoted by the Kyodo news agency said. But they will remain in Tokyo and the neighboring prefectures of Kanagawa, Saitama and Chiba.
Authorities will make a decision on Fukuoka’s possible exit from the state of emergency after reviewing the availability of hospital beds in the southwestern prefecture, Kyodo said.
The state of emergency – the second in Japan since the start of the pandemic – started in 11 of the country’s 47 prefectures on January 7 and was extended for another month until March 7. Tochigi, north of Tokyo, has already been withdrawn.
While Japanese authorities have no legal powers to impose restrictions on companies or individuals, requests to shorten opening hours and avoid non-essential tours appear to be paying off. Companies were encouraged to adopt remote work and participation in major events, such as concerts and sporting events, was limited to 5,000.
Japan registered 1,065 new Covid-19 cases on Thursday, according to public broadcaster NHK, well below the daily peak of almost 8,000 on 8 January. Seventy-four deaths were attributed to the virus on the same day, up from 121 in early February.
The government hopes to suspend the state of emergency in the remaining four prefectures, as planned on March 7, NHK added.
Health experts say the lifting of most restrictions should not be considered a sign that life is returning to normal. “There is a danger of sending the wrong message that everything is fine now,” said Toshio Nakagawa, head of the Medical Association of Japan, on Thursday.