<p>The Japanese government's advisory panel on coronavirus countermeasures on Thursday approved a plan to let the state of emergency expire in the Tokyo area as scheduled on March 21, Economy Minister Yasuhisa Nishimura said.</p>.<p>Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga had flagged the plan late on Wednesday, saying the availability of hospital beds had improved in Tokyo and three neighbouring prefectures.</p>.<p>"There was no objection to the plan," Nishimura, who also heads Japan's coronavirus response, said after a meeting with the advisory panel. He added, however, that experts noted that infections had been creeping up in recent days and that a resurgence was bound to occur.</p>.<p>"The important thing is to make sure the rebound is not a big one -- to keep the waves small," Nishimura said. "We ask our citizens to continue to take the basic precautions to prevent the spread of infections."</p>.<p><a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tag/coronavirus" target="_blank"><strong>CORONAVIRUS SPECIAL COVERAGE ONLY ON DH</strong></a></p>.<p>The government's task force will meet later Thursday to finalise the plan, followed by a news conference by Prime Minister Suga at 7 pm. (1000 GMT).</p>.<p>Tokyo, the capital, and neighbouring Kanagawa, Chiba and Saitama prefectures have remained under the state of emergency restrictions since early January, with curbs asking restaurants and bars to close by 8 pm and companies to allow more telecommuting.</p>.<p>While under pressure to bring Covid-19 under control ahead of the Tokyo Olympics this summer, the government is eager to jumpstart economic activity in the Tokyo area, whose 36 million residents account for 30% of Japan's population.</p>.<p>After the lifting of the emergency, the four prefectures will continue to ask eateries to close by 9 pm., at least until the end of March, to reduce the chance of a resurgence in infections, Kanagawa Governor Yuji Kuroiwa said on Wednesday.</p>.<p>So far in Japan, roughly 4,47,000 people have tested positive and 8,676 have died from Covid-19 as of Tuesday. </p>
<p>The Japanese government's advisory panel on coronavirus countermeasures on Thursday approved a plan to let the state of emergency expire in the Tokyo area as scheduled on March 21, Economy Minister Yasuhisa Nishimura said.</p>.<p>Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga had flagged the plan late on Wednesday, saying the availability of hospital beds had improved in Tokyo and three neighbouring prefectures.</p>.<p>"There was no objection to the plan," Nishimura, who also heads Japan's coronavirus response, said after a meeting with the advisory panel. He added, however, that experts noted that infections had been creeping up in recent days and that a resurgence was bound to occur.</p>.<p>"The important thing is to make sure the rebound is not a big one -- to keep the waves small," Nishimura said. "We ask our citizens to continue to take the basic precautions to prevent the spread of infections."</p>.<p><a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tag/coronavirus" target="_blank"><strong>CORONAVIRUS SPECIAL COVERAGE ONLY ON DH</strong></a></p>.<p>The government's task force will meet later Thursday to finalise the plan, followed by a news conference by Prime Minister Suga at 7 pm. (1000 GMT).</p>.<p>Tokyo, the capital, and neighbouring Kanagawa, Chiba and Saitama prefectures have remained under the state of emergency restrictions since early January, with curbs asking restaurants and bars to close by 8 pm and companies to allow more telecommuting.</p>.<p>While under pressure to bring Covid-19 under control ahead of the Tokyo Olympics this summer, the government is eager to jumpstart economic activity in the Tokyo area, whose 36 million residents account for 30% of Japan's population.</p>.<p>After the lifting of the emergency, the four prefectures will continue to ask eateries to close by 9 pm., at least until the end of March, to reduce the chance of a resurgence in infections, Kanagawa Governor Yuji Kuroiwa said on Wednesday.</p>.<p>So far in Japan, roughly 4,47,000 people have tested positive and 8,676 have died from Covid-19 as of Tuesday. </p>