Suga plays it safe to avoid Japan's third virus emergency

Health ministry meets Friday on Pfizer vaccine with eye on starting inoculations

20210211N Japan hospital

New cases have generally declined since the start of the year, but more than 50% of hospital beds available to COVID-19 patients remain occupied. © Kyodo

SHUNSUKE SHIGETA, Nikkei staff writer

TOKYO -- Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga has decided to err on the side of caution on lifting the coronavirus state of emergency, focusing first on containment to avoid declaring yet another emergency later.

Ten prefectures, including Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto, are slated to remain under the state of emergency until March 7.

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