Social distancing curbs were removed for most of the country on
May 14 as new infections fell, but the government had kept Tokyo and four other
prefectures under watch.
Japan
is looking to lift a state of emergency for Tokyo and remaining areas still
facing restrictions while also considering fresh stimulus worth almost $1
trillion to help companies ride out the coronavirus pandemic, Nikkei reported
on Monday.
Social distancing curbs were removed
for most of the country on May 14 as new infections fell, but the government
had kept Tokyo
and four other prefectures under watch.
The government will seek approval from
key advisers for the lifting on Monday. If approved, Japan would have no
regions under the state of emergency, which was first instated on April 7.
Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike has said
the capital would swiftly move into "stage one" of the lifting of
curbs if the government ends the state of emergency. That would allow libraries
and museums to reopen, and restaurants to stay open until later in the evening.
Subsequent stages would see theatres, cinemas, and fairgrounds reopen.
While the world's third-largest
economy has escaped an explosive outbreak with some 17,000 infections and 825
deaths so far, the epidemic has tipped it into a recession and plunged Prime
Minister Shinzo Abe's popularity to multi-year lows.
An Asahi newspaper poll conducted at
the weekend showed Abe's support rate at 29% - the lowest since he returned to
power in late 2012 - and disapproval at 52%. The results mirrored a Mainichi
newspaper survey published on Saturday.
Abe will hold a news conference at 6
p.m. (0900 GMT), where he is expected to announce the plan to lift the
emergency state.
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