Japan's Daily COVID-19 Cases Fall Below 1,000 After Two Days... Early Lifting of Emergency State Under Review

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kwon Jae-hee] The daily number of COVID-19 cases in Japan has fallen below 1,000 again after two days.

According to NHK on the 25th, the total number of newly confirmed COVID-19 infections across Japan the previous day was 921, including 213 cases in Tokyo.

This is the first time in two days that Japan's daily confirmed cases have been under 1,000 since the 22nd (740 cases).

In Japan, the daily new cases first rose to the 2,000 range on November 18 last year as winter approached, and after a state of emergency was declared in Tokyo and other areas, the number peaked at over 7,800 on January 8 this year.

Since then, thanks to the effects of the state of emergency measures aimed at reducing population movement and seasonal factors, new cases have been declining, dropping to the 1,000 range daily since the 7th of this month.

This year, the daily new cases have fallen below 1,000 three times, including the previous day (24th).

The cumulative number of confirmed cases increased to 429,088 as of the previous day, and deaths rose by 69 to reach 7,685.

The Japanese government plans to decide on the 26th whether to lift early the state of emergency, which is in effect until the 7th of next month in 10 metropolitan areas nationwide including the Tokyo metropolitan area, based on the infection situation in each region.

Local media expect that the state of emergency will be maintained until the deadline in the four metropolitan areas including Tokyo, while it is likely to be lifted by the end of this month in six other areas including Osaka.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare announced that 10 people residing in Fukushima and Hyogo Prefectures were newly confirmed infected with the variant virus type discovered in the United Kingdom.

The total number of variant virus infections confirmed in Japan, including airport quarantine processes, has increased to 188.

Takaji Wakita, director of the National Institute of Infectious Diseases of Japan, stated at an expert meeting hosted by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare the previous day, "It is certain that variant virus infections will continue to appear in widespread areas," and added, "We must prepare for the possibility of rapid spread of the variant virus."

Meanwhile, Eiko Kimura (55), a member of the opposition party Reiwa Shinsengumi and a member of the House of Councillors (the upper house of the National Diet), was announced to have been infected with COVID-19 the previous day.

This brings the total number of Japanese lawmakers infected with COVID-19 to 11.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.