Japan's Shinzo Abe Lifts Coronavirus State Of Emergency As Critics Swarm

Japan has completely lifted its nationwide state of emergency.

The country's prime minister, Shinzo Abe, announced Monday that officials have loosened the coronavirus restrictions in the last five of the country's 47 prefectures: Tokyo and its surrounding regions, as well as the northern island of Hokkaido.

"We've set some of the most strict criteria in the world to lift the declaration," Abe told a news conference, according to Japanese broadcaster NHK, "and we concluded that prefectures across the country have met that standard."