Coronavirus: Japan lifts state of emergency nationwide, considers US$930 billion stimulus plan

Safe distancing curbs were removed for most of Japan on May 14 as new infections fell but the government had kept Tokyo and four other prefectures under watch

‘We had very stringent criteria for lifting the state of emergency,’ PM Shinzo Abe said. ‘We have judged that we have met this criteria.’

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People wearing face masks in the Sugamo district of Tokyo. Photo: AFP

Published: 10:58am, 25 May 2020Updated: 9:52pm, 25 May 2020

Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Monday lifted the state of emergency imposed nationally to combat coronavirus following a sharp decline in the number of new cases.

“We had very stringent criteria for lifting the state of emergency. We have judged that we have met this criteria,” Abe told a nationally televised news conference. “Today we will lift the state of emergency nationwide.”

Economy Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura laid out the plan on Monday at the opening of a meeting of a government advisory panel, setting off a process to lift the measure for the areas still under the decree, a week ahead of schedule.

“There is no longer a need for a state of emergency in any part of the country,” Nishimura said. “We would like to seek advice on lifting the emergency.”

Social distancing curbs were removed for most of the country on May 14 as new infections fell, but the government had kept Tokyo and four other prefectures under watch.

Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike has said the capital would swiftly move into “stage one” of the lifting of curbs if the government ends the state of emergency. That would allow libraries and museums to reopen, and restaurants to stay open until later in the evening. Subsequent stages would see theatres, cinemas and fairgrounds reopen.

Tokyo reported 14 new coronavirus cases on Sunday, the highest since May 16, after just two cases were confirmed on Saturday. The total for the past seven days is 50, below the threshold of 70, or 0.5 people per 100,000, which the government has outlined as being needed to lift the emergency.