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On September 28, 2021, the Prime Minister held the 77th meeting of the Novel Coronavirus Response Headquarters at the Prime Minister’s Office.

At the meeting, the participants discussed the response to the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

Following the discussion, the Prime Minister said,
 
“Thanks to the efforts of many people, the number of new cases of infection nationally, which surpassed 25,000 per day not long after we entered the latter half of August, was 1,128 cases yesterday. The occupancy ratio of hospital beds has dropped below 50 percent in every prefecture and the number of patients with severe symptoms has been trending downward, after peaking in early September. The number of patients recuperating at home, which had surpassed 130,000 nationally at one time, has also fallen to 30,000 and continues to decline.
 
Against that backdrop, we took the decision that as of September 30, we will lift the declaration of a state of emergency in 19 prefectures and also lift all priority measures to prevent the spread of disease in eight prefectures, and to relax, in stages, restrictions on dining out and drinking and other activities.
 
Through the use of vaccines and neutralizing antibody drugs, we are becoming able to provide medical treatment in a stable manner, even if infections emerge to a certain degree. Going forward, it is important that, premised on the existence of a virus, we make measures to curb the spread of infections highly compatible with people’s daily lives. To do this, we must move forward with three policies.
 
First is enhancing our medical treatment structure by another level. Since July, in addition to further securing hospital beds and hotels, we have also set up 80 facilities around the country, including temporary medical facilities and oxygen administration stations, and even now we continue to increase the number of these facilities. We will proceed with the expansion of systems to secure hospital bed capacity and human resources that can be tapped immediately even if another wave of infections should arise in the future.
 
Second is the steady continuation of vaccinations. Some 69 percent of the population has already received at least one dose and 58 percent have completed two doses, with the vaccination rate surpassing that of the United States. The vaccination rate among the elderly has reached 90 percent. A provisional calculation by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare estimates that vaccinations resulted in 100,000 fewer infections and 8,000 fewer deaths in persons 65 years of age or older during the recent wave of infections. We will press forward in administering these vaccines so that everyone in the public who wishes to can complete their second dose at the earliest possible time in October or November.
 
Third is restoring our daily lives. After October 1, for the near future, for dining and drinking establishments that have taken such measures as installing acrylic panels, enhancing ventilation, and so on, and received the corresponding certification, we will allow alcohol to be served and permit the business to operate until 9 PM, at the discretion of each prefectural government. After conducting a gradual relaxation of restrictions in this way, we will consider further steps that make use of, for example, vaccination certificates and screening results.
 
Our battle against COVID-19 will enter a new phase from now. Going forward, the Government must work as one to continue efforts to make measures to curb the spread of infections highly compatible with people’s daily lives. I ask for your cooperation.”