Japan PM Shinzo Abe considering early 'exit strategy' as infection rate slows down

The Japanese government is considering an 'exit strategy' to come out of the coronavirus lockdown as the country's rate of new infections slows down. Japan recorded just 95 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday, according to the latest figures from the health ministry. The latest figures included 23 new cases in Tokyo, which is below 100 for the fifth day in a row. Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on May 4 extended the state of emergency in the country until the end of this month. 

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However, on May 6, Abe said he will consult with health experts and consider lifting the lockdown at an earlier juncture. Abe also said that his government is preparing an exit strategy to come out of the lockdown as early as possible. The nationwide lockdown in Japan was imposed on April 7 at a time when the country had 4,257 COVID-19 cases and 93 deaths. The Japanese government has issued new social behaviour guidelines for the residents that include wearing face mask outdoors, keeping a minimum of 6.5 ft distance from other people, teleworking or working from home as much as possible, avoiding crowded spaces, and washing hands frequently.  

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According to figures by worldometer website, Japan has recorded 15,477 coronavirus cases so far, of which 577 people have lost their lives. There are currently 9,982 active infections in the country with 308 of them under critical condition. Japan has successfully treated 4,918 patients to date. The recovery rate in Japan stands at 89 percent, while the mortality rate is close to 11 percent. 

Read: Japan's PM Shinzo Abe Set To Extend State Of Emergency Until May-end

Coronavirus outbreak

The virus outbreak that started in China's Wuhan city has spread across continents in just one month forcing the World Health Organisation (WHO) to declare it a pandemic on March 11. Health experts believe that the disease originated from a seafood market in China's Wuhan city, where animals were reportedly being traded illegally. According to data by worldometer, more than 3.91 million people have been infected by the disease globally, of which over 2,70,000 have lost their lives as of May 8. 

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(Image Credit: AP)