BANGKOK – Japan’s government is holding a coronavirus task force meeting Thursday to get experts’ approval on a plan to lift a state of emergency in most areas except Tokyo and other high-risk areas ahead of schedule.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe declared the emergency on April 7 in Tokyo and six other urban prefectures and later expanded it to the whole country through May 31.
With signs of infections slowing, Abe is seeking to relax the measure while balancing disease prevention and the economy. His government plans to lift the state of emergency in 39 of the country’s 47 prefectures, while maintaining it in eight prefectures, including Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto and Hokkaido.