緊急事態「解除基準近づく」　感染者減、全面解除も―田村厚労相

　田村憲久厚生労働相は２４日の閣議後記者会見で、新型コロナウイルス対策の緊急事態宣言について「このまま（感染者の）低下傾向が続けば、ほとんどのエリアで解除する一つの基準に近づく」と述べ、全面解除も視野に検討していることを明らかにした。宣言は１９都道府県で発令されており、３０日に期限を迎える。
　田村氏は、全国の新規感染者数が１週間平均で前週比半分程度に減少していると言及。その上で、専門家の意見も踏まえ、訪米中の菅義偉首相が帰国後、最終判断する考えを示した。（2021/09/24-12:31）

Most of the areas in Japan under the state of emergency over the novel coronavirus pandemic will reach a threshold that would allow the emergency to be lifted, if the number of COVID-19 cases continues to fall, health minister Norihisa Tamura said Friday.
   At a press conference, Tamura thus suggested that the central government is discussing the possibility of completely lifting the state of emergency currently covering Tokyo and 18 prefectures, which is set to expire on Thursday.
   Noting that the weekly average of new coronavirus cases in the country has fallen about by half from the previous week, he indicated that the government will consult experts on the matter and reach a final decision after Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga returns from his trip to the United States on Sunday.
   "Obviously, we must also hear what prefectural governments have to say" on whether to switch to the pre-emergency designation from the state of emergency, Tamura said.
   "We are watching closely how the current downward trend (in COVID-19 infections) will develop," he added, suggesting that the government will make a careful decision while taking into consideration the hospital bed occupancy rate and the share of COVID-19 patients being admitted to hospital.