Japan to lift coronavirus state of emergency restrictions

TOKYO â€" Japan’s coronavirus state of emergency restrictions are set to lift on Thursday, allowing restaurants and bars to resume more flexible hours in an effort to jump-start the country’s economic recovery after nearly six months, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said Tuesday.

Japan has been under a partial or nationwide “state of emergency” status since April, a designation meant to express the heightened threat of the spread of the coronavirus.

The restrictions have been extended or expanded for a few weeks at a time since April in response to rising cases, the prevalence of the delta variant, and the slow rollout of the vaccine program. The restrictions were largely voluntary, as the government requested businesses to close by 8 p.m. or stop serving alcohol by then.

After infections peaked in mid-August, positive cases have been on a sharp decline in recent weeks. Meanwhile, vaccinations have picked up at a rapid clip, and roughly 60 percent of the population has now been fully vaccinated. The majority of the elderly population is also fully vaccinated.

Still, the lifting of the state of emergency status is expected to be gradual in parts of Japan. Some local authorities intend to ask establishments to close by 9 p.m. out of precaution, the local NHK news outlet reported. However, caps on spectators at sports events and concerts will increase to allow more attendees at events.

Suga also said he wants to begin easing the entry ban on fully-vaccinated foreigners into the country, including for short-term business trips and for international students. The business community has been lobbying the government for such a change, and the ban on international students has drawn more scrutiny in recent weeks.

Suga delivered the update in what is likely his final news conference on the state of the country’s coronavirus response. He is stepping down as prime minister at the end of this month, largely due to criticism of his handling of Japan’s covid response. An election for the new leader of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, and likely the next prime minister, is set to take place on Wednesday.

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