May 13 ,2020. 4 hours ago – 16:45 KYODO NEWS

TOKYO – The Japanese government is considering adding Aichi, Kyoto and Fukuoka to the list of areas set to see a lifting of the state of emergency declared over the novel coronavirus pandemic, possibly allowing people in 39 of the country’s 47 prefectures to live with fewer constraints, officials said Wednesday.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will finalize how many prefectures will remain under the state of emergency on Thursday after hearing opinions from a panel of experts.

The government already plans to lift the state of emergency in 34 prefectures least hit by the coronavirus outbreak, as well as Ibaraki and Gifu, which have been designated as requiring “special caution.”

While Aichi, Kyoto and Fukuoka, among 13 prefectures bearing the special status, may be added to the list, Hokkaido, Tokyo, Kanagawa, Saitama, Osaka and Hyogo are expected to remain under the state of emergency due to higher numbers of infections.

“It is important for the number of newly infected people to be declining,” a senior official said.

Abe first declared a monthlong state of emergency in early April covering Tokyo, Osaka and five other prefectures, later expanding it to the rest of the country.

Last week, he extended the emergency until the end of this month, with people urged to refrain from making nonessential outings and many businesses asked to shorten their opening hours or stay shut.

As for the prefectures that will remain under the state of emergency, the government will check if it can be lifted before May 31, according to the officials.

The advisory panel is considering setting standards for lifting the state of emergency such as less than 0.5 new case per 100,000 people in the preceding week, according to the officials.

For Tokyo, with a population of roughly 14 million, it would mean that the number of people infected with the virus would have to be fewer than 70 in one week for the state of emergency to be lifted.

Other conditions include comparing the number of patients with those two weeks prior and the establishment of a system of cooperation between the central and prefectural governments on maintaining medical services.

Whether a prefecture is capable of swiftly carrying out polymerase chain reaction tests for the novel coronavirus is also among the conditions.

CR:KYODO NEWS