Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga answers questions from Yukio Edano, leader of the opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, at the Lower House Budget Committee on March 1. (Kotaro Ebara)
Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga showed more caution about lifting the COVID-19 state of emergency for the greater Tokyo area after opposition lawmakers and governors warned about a possible rebound in virus infections.
“I would like to wait and see how the infectious disease situation goes until last minute,” Suga said at the Lower House Budget Committee on March 2 about the state of emergency.
The state of emergency is scheduled to end on March 7 for Tokyo and the three surrounding prefectures of Chiba, Kanagawa and Saitama. It was lifted for six other prefectures on Feb. 28.
The officials join four senior bureaucrats who were treated to expensive meals by Seigo Suga, a son of Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, and are already in line for disciplinary measures.