Since late March, Japan has been struggling to slow down a wave of infections driven by more infectious mutations. The number of new cases per day soared to more than 7,000. Severely ill patients in Tokyo, Osaka and other metropolitan areas overwhelmed hospitals .

Since then, daily cases have dropped significantly, paving the way for Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga to downgrade the state of emergency to less stringent measures when it expires on Sunday. The new measures will last until July 11, which is 12 days before the Olympic Games.

Yoshihide Suga said that the relaxation measures will focus on closing bars and restaurants in advance. If there is another surge and strain the hospital, “we will act quickly, including strengthening measures,” said Yoshihide Suga, addressing medical experts’ concerns.

At the virus team meeting on Thursday, experts approved the government’s plan to downgrade emergency situations in Tokyo, Aichi, Hokkaido, Osaka, Kyoto, Hyogo, and Fukuoka.

Dr. Shigeru Omi, head of the government’s COVID-19 team, said: “We must do everything we can and provide firm financial support,” to minimize the risk of a recurrence of infection.

Japan does not enforce strict blockades, and the state of emergency allows county leaders to order the closure of non-essential businesses or shorten business hours. Compensation shall be paid to those who comply, and a fine shall be imposed on those who violate it. Home quarantine and other measures for ordinary people are only requirements and are increasingly being ignored.

Japan’s Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare Norihisa Tamura told reporters that even during the Olympics, the government will not hesitate to issue an emergency statement again to protect people’s lives.

Okinawa will remain in a state of emergency, hospitals will still be overcrowded, and Hiroshima and Okayama will be removed from the list.

Ryuji Wakita, director of the National Institute of Infectious Diseases, which leads the government’s COVID-19 Advisory Committee, said that infections in many areas have decreased, but the slowdown in Tokyo has bottomed out. He warned that infections may increase and there are already signs of rebound among young people.

Wakita said that although more and more people are receiving injections, it is expected that by the end of July, most of the country’s 36 million elderly people will be fully vaccinated, but young people are basically not vaccinated, and the infection may soon be vaccinated. Bring a burden to the hospital.

“In order to prevent another boom, the key is to prevent people from wandering around during the Olympics and summer vacation,” he said.

Experts said that for the safety of the Olympics, speeding up the launch of vaccines is essential.

Suga opened a mass vaccination center and began vaccinating in large companies as part of an ambitious goal of up to 1 million doses per day. As of Wednesday, only 6% of Japanese people were fully vaccinated.

-From the Associated Press, last updated at 7 am EST

What’s happening in canada

Watch | The fight for the second COVID-19 vaccine is causing concern in high-risk areas:

People in hot spots in Ontario have been scrambling to get a second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, but the dangerous delta variant has not spread equally in all places. Some people worry about the unfair distribution of vaccines, especially in high-risk areas. 2:42

As of early Thursday morning, Canada had reported 1,405,162 confirmed COVID-19 cases, of which 14,163 were considered active. The death toll on CBC News is 26,001. To date, more than 30.3 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been vaccinated across the country. CBC’s vaccine tracker.

In Atlantic Canada on Wednesday, health officials reported 12 new cases of COVID-19, including:

• Eight cases Nova Scotia, The province enters The second stage of reopening on Wednesday.
• Three cases New Brunswick, Governor Blaine Higgs announced on Wednesday that the province has reached the vaccination threshold required to transfer to it. Reopen next.
• A new case Newfoundland and Labrador, Health officials said on Wednesday that the appointment for the second dose will be advanced.

No new cases reported Prince Edward Island, As of Wednesday, there are no active COVID-19 cases.

in Quebec, Health officials reported 1 new death and 153 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday.

OntarioAt the same time, another 12 deaths were reported on Wednesday, 384 new cases COVID-19.

On Wednesday in the Prairie Province, Manitoba Seven other deaths and 144 new cases COVID-19. At the time of the update, the province expressed its hope that everyone 12 years of age and older would be eligible for a second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine by the end of next week.

Saskatchewan At the same time, health officials reported two other deaths and 74 new cases COVID-19 on Wednesday.In the neighbourhood Alberta, Health officials report 153 new cases COVID-19 and four other deaths.

Throughout the North, health officials are Yukon Territory Warned on Wednesday, The growing COVID-19 outbreak Already “more than anything we have seen before.” Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Brendan Hanley said that of the 49 active cases in the Territory, 44 were in Whitehorse.

No new cases nationwide North-west region or Nunavut on Wednesday.

in British Columbia, Health officials reported on Wednesday 113 new cases COVID-19 and four deaths related to COVID-19.

-From CBC News and Canadian media, the last update time is 7:05 AM EST

What is happening around the world

As of early Thursday morning, the COVID-19 case database showed that there were more than 177 million reported cases worldwide.This Johns Hopkins University Tracker The reported global death toll exceeds 3.8 million.

inside AmericaCosta Rica’s health authorities said that after studying existing clinical studies, they decided to temporarily refuse to provide Coshine Biotech’s vaccine, saying that its effect is not good enough.

in Africa, Some of the world’s poorest countries are facing a double crisis: a surge in COVID-19 cases and a severe shortage of vaccines. Fear is rising in African countries such as Zimbabwe, Zambia and Uganda.

in EuropePortugal is experiencing a surge in coronavirus cases, and the government is scheduled to review its pandemic regulations on Thursday. The European Union country reported 1,350 new cases on Wednesday, the highest single-day total since February. Experts say that the delta variant first discovered in India may be driving the spread. The Lisbon area accounts for nearly 1,000 new cases.

inside Asia Pacific In the region, the Indonesian President has ordered the authorities to speed up the country’s vaccination campaign because the World Health Organization has warned that social restrictions need to be tightened as the country’s new coronavirus cases surge.

“We need to speed up vaccination to achieve community immunization, and we hope this can stop the spread of COVID-19,” President Joko Widodo said on Thursday during a visit to a vaccination center outside the capital Jakarta.

inside middle East, Bahrain approved the emergency use of regn-cov2 drugs, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, and Roche’s newly authorized COVID-19 antibody combination as part of its coronavirus treatment plan for the treatment of existing mild and moderately symptomatic cases.

-From the Associated Press and Reuters, the last update time is 7 am EST