TOKYO: The Japanese government decided Thursday to lift its coronavirus state of emergency for Osaka, Kyoto and Hyogo prefectures.

The lifting for the three western prefectures was made official at a meeting of the government's coronavirus response headquarters.

The state of emergency now remains in place for Tokyo and neighboring Saitama, Chiba and Kanagawa prefectures, and the northernmost prefecture of Hokkaido.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told reporters that the government will make a decision as early as Monday on whether to lift the virus emergency for the five prefectures.

The government declared the state of emergency on April 7 for seven prefectures--Tokyo, Saitama, Chiba, Kanagawa, Osaka, Hyogo and Fukuoka--and expanded it to all 47 prefectures of the country on April 16.

The state of emergency, initially slated to end on May 6, the final day of the Golden Week holiday period, was extended until the end of May. It was lifted earlier, on May 14, for 39 prefectures.

JIJI Press