Tokyo confirmed 30 new cases of infection with the new coronavirus on Thursday, according to the Tokyo government, keeping the number of infections found daily below 50 for the ninth consecutive day.
Including those new cases Tokyo's tally topped 5,000, with the number of cases logged each day showing a declining trend. Tokyo had reported 28 new cases Tuesday and 10 on Wednesday.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced Thursday evening the lifting of the state of emergency in 39 prefectures, ahead of its scheduled expiry on May 31, as the risk of infection is considered to be relatively low in these areas.
But the declaration will remain in place in Tokyo and seven other prefectures — Hokkaido, Kanagawa, Saitama, Chiba, Kyoto, Osaka and Hyogo. NHK also said no new infections were reported in Chiba on Thursday, for the first time in 45 days.
The government is looking to assess the situation for the remaining prefectures next week.