TOKYO: The Tokyo metropolitan government is considering lifting its request for shorter operating hours on Monday for restaurants and bars certified as having sufficient COVID-19 precautions in place, sources familiar with the matter said Tuesday.

Currently, certified restaurants and bars in the Japanese capital are asked to stop serving alcohol by 8 p.m. and close by 9 p.m. to prevent a rebound in COVID-19 cases.

The metropolitan government plans to ease the restrictions due to a decrease in COVID-19 cases. A final decision is expected to be made as early as Thursday.

Some 100,000 of the about 120,000 restaurants and bars in Tokyo had been certified as of Friday.

Uncertified restaurants and bars are currently asked to close by 8 p.m. and not to serve alcohol. They are expected to remain under certain restrictions.

Tokyo confirmed 36 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, the 11th straight day below 100. It had 309 hospitalized patients and 26 patients with severe symptoms, both less than one-10th the peak.

JIJI Press