Japan is set to lift the coronavirus state of emergency in the entire country beginning Thursday as cases continue to drop and the healthcare system now recovering from the surge, Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga announced on Tuesday.
This is the first time Japan will be out of the state of emergency after six months.
“The daily new cases came down from more than 25,000 in mid-August to 1,128 yesterday…the number of patients with serious conditions has been on a downtrend after peaking in early September,” Suga.
“Thanks to progress in vaccination and administration of neutralizing antibody drugs, we are entering a phase where medical services can be offered in a stable manner even if a certain degree of infections take place,” he added.
Japan has already vaccinated 60% of the population and those who are waiting for their shots will be given before November ends.
“New cases will undoubtedly rise after the emergency state is lifted. We need to continue with the necessary measures to prevent a rebound,” Economy Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura.
