Japan to emerge from state of emergency due to COVID-19 this Friday

Japan will lift the state of emergency by covid-19 in force in Tokyo and in the 18 other prefectures of the country next door October 1st, as expected, after enjoying a marked drop in daily cases and severe patients.

This was announced today by Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, who pointed out that the decision was based on “the decrease in new infections and the occupancy of hospital beds”, during the government meeting with the group of experts during which this measure was decided.

The occupancy rate of hospital places for covid patients has been reduced to less than 50% and serious patients have halved compared to the maximum peak recorded in August, Suga pointed out.

“We will strengthen the contagion prevention measures to be able to reconcile them with the return to daily life and we will continue to promote vaccination,” Suga explained at the meeting.

The state of emergency will be lifted on October 1 in the 19 prefectures where it is in force and lower-level alerts affecting eight others of the country’s 47 provinces will also be lifted. Thus, the territory will be freed from any type of health alert for the first time since April 4.

Despite the lifting of the alerts, restrictions will be maintained, which will gradually diminish depending on the territory. In practice, this will lead to some standardization of opening times and participation in mass events.

The Japanese state of emergency has never led to confinement, even if the authorities have asked the population to limit their exits.

Preventive measures are focused on bars, restaurants and karaoke bars, which, under the state of emergency, are requested to advance closing time to 8 p.m. and not to serve alcohol.

During the month following the lifting of the health alert, the central government will continue to ask for a shortening of opening hours, in exchange for subsidies.

For sports and religious events, the maximum capacity currently stands at 5,000, a figure that will rise to 10,000, or half the capacity of the facilities once the alert is lifted.

Daily covid infections in Japan have steadily declined after peaking at 25,876 on August 20.

Monday’s figure was 1,147 cases and the figure fell to 200 in Tokyo for the first time since March.

Regarding vaccination against this disease, according to the most recent data, more than 72.4 million people or 57.2% of the Japanese population have already received the full schedule.

The announcement of the lifting of the state of emergency comes on the eve of the Liberal Democratic Party (PLD) primaries during which Suga’s successor will be chosen at the head of the formation and the national government, in the period transition until the general elections to be held in the country before the end of November.

(with information from the EFE)

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