TOKYO: Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said it was too early to decide if the Covid-19 state of emergency in place for the Tokyo region could be lifted on March 21 as planned, although according to a senior administration official, an exit "looked likely".

Speaking at an upper house budget committee session on Monday, Suga said that a final decision will be made after consulting with experts, although informed sources have said there could be an early exit from the emergency period for the greater Tokyo area, with a possible announcement on Thursday, reports Xinhua news agency.

The Health Ministry is expected to assess the situation on Wednesday, the sources said, with Suga likely to announce the decision on the state of the emergency deadline for the Tokyo region possibly as soon as Thursday. Suga will also hold discussions with his cabinet on whether the COVID-19 situation in the greater Tokyo area has improved enough to lift the emergency period,.

The Prime Minister himself has said there has been a decline in new cases recently, while according to Shigeru Omi, head of the government's Covid-19 subcommittee, extending the state of emergency would not be a "real solution".

Tokyo on Monday reported 175 new Covid-19 cases, bringing the capital's tally to 115,584. The local government and health officials said the seven-day average of daily cases stood at 287.6, which is 113.5 percent of the average for the previous week.

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