Japan is extending a state of emergency in Tokyo for another two weeks.
It is four months before the already delayed Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
The decision was made to ensure the city's health care system can cope with new coronavirus cases.
The country's minister of economic revitalization Yasutoshi Nishimura said Friday that Tokyo's health care system continues to be strained by the recent surge in new coronavirus cases.
"For two more weeks, we will keep the measure in place...so that we can firmly ease strains on hospitals," Nishimura said.
Nishimura said the decision to extend the state of emergency through March 21 was backed by medical experts. Apart from Tokyo, three other neighboring prefectures have also extended their state of emergency orders.
Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga is expected to formally confirm the decision later Friday.
Ensuring Tokyo is able to keep the spread of the virus at bay will be key to Japan's economic recovery as the city is set to host the Olympics July 23. The event has already been delayed for more than a year.
Tokyo governor Yuriko Koike previously said that he supports another extension of the state of emergency order as lifting it too quickly could result in a rebound in infections.
A statement of emergency declaration for Tokyo, Kanagawa, Chiba, and Saitama was initially announced Jan. 7. The order was later extended through March 7. Several urban prefectures had already lifted the emergency order following a decrease in new cases.
The nonbinding emergency order is meant to encourage bars, restaurants, and other businesses to voluntarily close down early. Unlike other countries, Japan has never had to impose a mandatory lockdown as most businesses have voluntarily implemented their own safety measures.
Coronavirus infections in Japan have remained relatively low, thanks to the voluntary actions of its citizens. Since its peak in early January of about 2,000 cases per day, Tokyo's daily cases have gone down significantly. On Thursday, officials reported 278 new cases - down from the 316 cases reported a day before.
