Tokyo moves away from numerical targets to fight coronavirus

Jul 01, 2020 | News On Japan

Jul 01, 2020 (Japan Today) - Tokyo on Tuesday said it will move away from numerical targets to contain COVID-19 and rely more on the advice of a committee of experts, to try to control the novel coronavirus and avoid another economic slowdown.

The metropolis, with a population of 14 million, has sought to keep new cases below 20 a day since Japan lifted a state of emergency on May 25, but has had five straight days of more than 50 new cases as of Tuesday, when 54 infections were reported.

Tokyo is two weeks into a final phase of loosening coronavirus restrictions and officials have repeatedly said they see no need to declare a new state of emergency.

They also say the medical system can handle current cases and that increased testing partly explains the rising infections.

"It's an extremely different situation from what it was at the end of March when patients were increasing rapidly, but we still must be watchful," Governor Yuriko Koike told a news conference, where she announced the new measures would start on Wednesday.

Under the new guidelines, Tokyo will move away from strict numerical targets to determine if new restrictions are needed. Instead, a group of experts will evaluate the situation on a weekly basis.

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