Japan to ease some curbs on Sunday

Japan will lift the Covid-19 state of emergency in Tokyo and Osaka on Sunday as planned, but continue to impose curbs under a lighter "quasi-emergency".

The decision, which comes nearly a month before the Tokyo Olympic Games flag off on July 23, has been keenly watched as it will have a bearing on how many domestic spectators are allowed for the Games.

Foreign audiences have already been barred, but Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga's government is said to be keen on having Japanese ticket holders fill the stands.

A current cap of 5,000 or half of venue capacity, whichever is lower, will be eased next month, with an upper limit of 10,000 people. Spectators will be expected to wear masks and refrain from cheering.

The state of emergency is in place in 10 prefectures.

Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto and Hyogo first came under the emergency on April 25, followed by Aichi and Fukuoka on May 12, and then Hokkaido, Hiroshima and Okayama on May 16, and finally Okinawa on May 23.

The emergency will be lifted in all areas on Sunday except Okinawa, which remains under emergency measures until July 11. This is because the burden on the medical hospitals there remains high.

Of the other nine areas, seven will come under the quasi-emergency restrictions until July 11, with only Hiroshima and Okayama escaping Covid-19 curbs altogether.

Separately, the three prefectures that border Tokyo - Saitama, Chiba and Kanagawa - will also be under quasi-emergency measures until July 11.

"The rate of decline in infections has slowed and, because of the emergence of variants, there is a risk that cases may increase," Mr Suga told a news conference.

"We need to be vigilant to ensure there is no rebound, and remain focused in implementing anti-virus measures."

Japan's emergency measures have been far less strict than the lockdowns and circuit breakers overseas. Museums, gyms, shopping malls, cinemas and theatres are among those that remain open with few restrictions, and there is no compulsory location check-ins nor pre-event testing.

Under the quasi-emergency, an 8pm curfew on dine-in service at eateries will remain, though a blanket ban on alcohol sales will be relaxed to allow such sales until 7pm for parties of up to two people.

Mr Suga said: "We must ask you to continue these restrictions... in order to regain normalcy in our lives."

He added that his persistence over the Olympic Games was not an issue of "personal pride or the economy", saying: "Mankind has faced the daunting challenge of Covid-19, and now is the time to unite and show the world that we can overcome this difficulty through the efforts and wisdom of the people."

Japan reported a total of 1,554 cases yesterday, down from the fourth-wave peak of 7,234 cases on May 8.