Jun 11 (Nikkei) - The Tokyo metropolitan government is set to lift all business restrictions on June 19 after the capital is about to lift on Thursday its state of alert, a warning issued regarding a potential second wave of COVID-19 infections.
Immediately after the state of emergency was lifted last month, Tokyo issued its first alert on June 2. The warning system did not lead to tightening of social distancing measures, but indicated caution.
After the alert is lifted, Tokyo is also expected to allow more facilities, including karaoke parlors and theme parks, to reopen from Friday. Restaurants will be allowed to operate until midnight, which now stand at 10 p.m.
The city is also considering to lift all business restrictions on June 19. This would remove caps on opening hours for restaurants. Facilities that are considered high risk of the "3Cs" -- closed spaces, crowded places and close contact settings -- such as live concert halls and cabaret clubs, will be allowed to operate. Events and facilities will still be required to take precautionary measures.
Criteria for the Tokyo alert included when daily cases average 20 or more for seven days in a row, when officials cannot confirm the infection route for over 50% of new cases, and when the weekly number of cases increases.
