The government’s plan to further relax attendance limits for sporting and other major events is being rethought, economy and pandemic minister Yasutoshi Nishimura says.
“We need to think about this carefully,” the minister in charge of coronavirus measures said at a Saturday news conference, referring to the plan to lower the restrictions another notch next month.
His comment came as infections continue to set new records in Tokyo and elsewhere after the state of emergency was lifted in late May.
On July 10, Japan relaxed its crowd guidance for sporting, concerts and other events to a maximum of 5,000 from 1,000, with capacity at indoor venues limited to 50 percent or below usual.
The government had initially planned to scrap the limits as early as Aug. 1, but Nishimura voiced concern about the rise of untraceable infections.
On Saturday, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government confirmed 290 daily infections after logging a record of 293 on Friday. Nationwide, more than 660 infections were confirmed, the most since April 11, according to a Kyodo News tally based on information provided by authorities from across Japan.
A government subcommittee will meet in the near future to discuss the pros and cons of easing the crowd limits.
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