As new coronavirus cases in Tokyo hit a monthly high, Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga declared Wednesday evening that he intends to lift the nation's last remaining COVID-19 state of emergency — currently covering the capital and three neighboring prefectures — as scheduled on Monday.
The decision is expected to be made official at the government’s task force meeting Thursday, which will follow a meeting of an expert advisory panel.
“The number of new cases or the rate of hospitalization are within the range to lift (the state of emergency),” Suga told reporters Wednesday evening. “We will naturally put in place measures to make sure a resurgence (of new cases) won’t happen.”