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Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Tokyo and Osaka must maintain a state of emergency
Japan has lifted a coronavirus-imposed state of emergency in 39 of 47 prefectures, after a sharp decline in new infections.
The order still applies in Tokyo, Osaka and on the northern island of Hokkaido, where new cases arise daily.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Japan’s infection rate had dropped to one-seventh of the country’s peak.
He urged the public to be vigilant, wear masks, and follow the distancing guide.
“If possible, before May 31, we would like to lift the state of emergency for the other regions as well,” Abe said.
Japan faced initial criticism for its handling of a massive outbreak on the Diamond Princess cruise ship, docked in the city of Yokohama, but appears to have prevented an epidemic on the scale of those seen in the United States or Russia.
16,049 infections have been confirmed in the country and 678 people have died with the virus, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.
Doctors’ warnings in mid-April that Japan’s medical system could collapse under a wave of new Covid-19 cases have not been followed.
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The country’s low level of evidence has raised questions, but Abe said his strategy of tracking virus clusters had worked in many areas.
“We were able to contain (the spread of infection) to the level where it can be prevented with a comprehensive cluster-focused approach,” he told reporters.
Unlike governments elsewhere, Japan’s leaders have no legal power to impose a blockade. While local governors can ask companies to remain closed and suggest people stay home, there are no penalties if they choose not to. Despite this, mobility data has shown a notable drop in public movement.
