A panel of government-appointed experts has approved a plan to downgrade the state of emergency in eight Japanese prefectures, including Tokyo, which will host the Olympics in just over a month, according to Economy Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura.
Speaking at the end of the meeting, Mr Nishimura, who oversees Japan's coronavirus response, said the latter half of the discussions centred on the wisdom of lifting the emergency state in Tokyo.
With the pace of decline in new infections slowing in recent days, some warned of a likely rebound and stressed the need to respond without hesitation through further curbs or even the reinstatement of a state of emergency, he added.