Japan lifts state of emergency in 6 metropolitan areas including Osaka starting today

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Song Seung-yoon] The state of emergency for COVID-19, which had been imposed on six major regional local governments in Japan, was lifted from midnight on the 1st.

The areas where the state of emergency was lifted are Osaka Prefecture, Kyoto Prefecture, Hyogo Prefecture, Fukuoka Prefecture, Gifu Prefecture, and Aichi Prefecture.

According to a report by Kyodo News, the operating hours of restaurants in the areas where the state of emergency was lifted will first be extended from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. Japan's COVID-19 state of emergency included measures such as refraining from going out, shortening restaurant operating hours, and expanding telework.

Yasutoshi Nishimura, Minister in charge of Economic Revitalization and Japan's COVID-19 response, said, "Telework is a symbol of the new normal," and urged people to continue teleworking even in areas where the state of emergency has been lifted.

The COVID-19 state of emergency imposed on four metropolitan local governments in the Tokyo metropolitan area, including Tokyo Metropolis, Saitama, Kanagawa, and Chiba Prefectures, is expected to be lifted from the 8th. Once the metropolitan area is lifted, all states of emergency in Japan will be lifted.

According to NHK's tally, the number of new COVID-19 cases nationwide in Japan was 999 the previous day, falling below 1,000 for the first time in six days. The cumulative number of confirmed cases rose to 433,432. The number of COVID-19 deaths increased by 30 the previous day, bringing the total to 7,910.