Tokyo to ditch nightlife curbs as COVID-19 cases plunge

reader · October 21, 2021

From Channel News Asia

TOKYO: Tokyo will lift curbs on bar and restaurant opening hours as COVID-19 cases in the Japanese capital hit their lowest level this year, officials said on Thursday (Oct 21).

It is the latest softening of coronavirus restrictions in Japan, where cases have been in free fall for weeks, which experts ascribe to a rapid increase in the vaccination rate.

Nationwide, new infections have plunged from record highs of more than 25,800 in August to fewer than 400 in recent days.

And Tokyo, a city of 14 million people, has reported an average of 47 daily cases over the past week - lows not seen since June 2020.

The country has never imposed a blanket lockdown, but for most of this year, a COVID-19 state of emergency was in place in major cities and other areas, targeting alcohol sales and crowd sizes at large events - including the Tokyo Olympics, held mostly behind closed doors.

The emergency measures ended three weeks ago, but some restrictions have remained, including Tokyo's restaurants and bars being asked to close by 9pm.

From next Monday, establishments in the capital that take sufficient anti-infection measures will be free to open late, Tokyo governor Yuriko Koike said, after surrounding regions announced similar steps.

Although Japan's vaccine drive started later than in many other developed economies, about 68 per cent of its population is now fully inoculated - more than the United States' 57 per cent.

The borders of the world's third-largest economy remain shut to almost all foreign nationals, and mask-wearing is not mandatory but ubiquitous in public places.

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asia/japan-covid-19-tokyo-ditch-nightlife-curbs-2259061