Japan emergency off from all areas

Tokyo, May 25: Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe lifted a Covid-19 state of emergency in Tokyo and four other remaining areas on Monday, ending the restrictions nationwide as businesses begin to reopen. Abe also unveiled a plan for a new stimulus package to support businesses hit by the pandemic.

Experts on a government-commissioned panel approved the lifting of the emergency in Tokyo, neighbouring Kanagawa, Chiba and Saitama prefectures, and in Hokkaido to the north, which had more cases and remained under the emergency declaration after it was removed in most of Japan earlier this month. Under the emergency, people were asked to stay at home and non-essential businesses were requested to close or reduce operations, but there was no enforcement.

Since May 14, when the measures were lifted in most of Japan, more people have been leaving their homes and stores have begun reopening. “We were able to bring the outbreak nearly under control in just a month and a half in a uniquely Japanese way” without enforcing measures with penalties, he said. “We demonstrated the power of the ‘Japan model’.”

Abe also announced a new stimulus plan worth about 100 trillion yen to provide financial support for companies hit by the pandemic.