Japan ends National State of Emergency; Know why PM Abe did so when virus is still with Japanese clan

Tokyo, May 25: Carefully pointing out the successes of Japan’s strategy in the wake of coronavirus, noting that Japan had the lowest number of cases and deaths in the Group of Seven nations, Prime Minister Shinzō Abe on Monday announced that Tokyo, Hokkaido, Kanagawa, Chiba and Saitama are stepping down from a state of emergency. However, he said that measures will still be taken to control the infection.

 

"We’re moving into a phase where we no longer avoid things like events or sports because of the infection risk, but think about how we control that risk", he noted while addressing a media forum that was strictly seen following the social distancing rules.

 

Abe acknowledged the struggles that businesses have gone through and noted that although the path is long, the exit is visible. Meanwhile, though the state of emergency is lifted, Japan is cautioned that the virus is still with it. He appealed to people to continue to protect themselves and take precautions while resuming the economy.

The Prime Minister also noted that the second state of emergency is possible if infections surge again. In order to avoid one he has made plans to roll out a smartphone app to track down clusters of infections as soon as possible, by mid June probably. Abe was seen making what sounds like a bit of a play for Japan to exercise leadership in tackling the virus globally using Japan’s experience. He said would make a proposal regarding vaccine development at the G7 next month.

 

Earlier today, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was asked about the risk on infection on packed trains, something that was trending on social media. "Keep doing remote work, staggered shifts and don’t talk on the trains which should be ventilated regularly", he said then. The Tokyo area, with its surrounding prefectures of Chiba, Kanagawa and Saitama, has a combined population of about 35 million people and an annual output of ¥182.2 trillion, which in global terms would make it the 11th largest economy on the planet.

 

The Japan Times quoted- While a European-style lockdown isn’t legally possible in Japan due to civil liberties enshrined in its postwar Constitution, the state of emergency enabled local governments to instruct businesses to close or operate for shortened hours, and to ask residents to stay at home.