The government finally lifted the state of emergency in the Tokyo metropolitan area and Hokkaido earlier this week, but the battle against COVID-19 is far from over.
Whether in several weeks or a few months, a second coronavirus wave will likely hit Japan. To better prepare for this scenario, it is necessary to determine what measures need to be introduced now and swiftly implement them while slowly resuming economic activities.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe boasted "The Japanese model has demonstrated its strength,’’ during a news conference on Monday in which he declared an end to the state of emergency across the country. World Health Organization Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus called Japan’s efforts to contain the epidemic a "success,’’ saying that it has managed to reduce the spread of infection and maintain the number of COVID-19 deaths at a relatively low level. So far Japan has reported around 870 fatalities.