On May 14, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced that he would eliminate the state of emergency in 39/47 Japanese provinces and cities. Meanwhile, the state of emergency in many major cities such as Tokyo, Chiba, Kanagawa, Saitama, Kyoto, Osaka and Hyogo will be reevaluated soon next week.

Do not impose strict blockade orders like India or France , Japan declared a state of emergency from April 7 without penalty sanctions. People still use public transport and dine at the restaurant.

But Prime Minister Abe is still under pressure and is forced to relax restrictive measures to restart the economy.

"With the lifting of emergencies in many areas marking the beginning of life in the corona virus era," Mr. Abe warned. "The disease is definitely still around us."

Like Japan, the rest of the world is also "headache" before the problem of balancing economic interests and public health risks. Governments have set out specific criteria to restore the economy, and at the same time set conditions to prevent the spread of disease.

Southeast Asia

Many economies in Southeast Asia are gradually recovering from the success of the Covid-19 epidemic. Vietnam has not recorded any new cases in the community in recent weeks. Thailand also had no cases of infection for the first time on May 13.

A noodle shop in Bangkok uses plastic screens during the epidemic. Photo: Reuters .

In Singapore , many small businesses are allowed to reopen, even though the blockade order lasts until early June. The government also requires businesses to deploy an online work system, helping officials. responsible for easily monitoring disease situation.

Singapore on May 14 recorded only two infections in the community, the lowest number since the introduction of blockade measures on April 7, the Straits Times newspaper reported.

America

In the US, the state government will select an anti-epidemic strategy based on instructions and instructions from the White House.

The blockade order in New York, the state with the highest number of Covid-19 cases nationwide, ceased on May 15. Gov. Andrew Cuomo said on May 8 that the blockade was "not a permanent solution".

The plan to reopen in the state is divided into several stages for each specific region. Industries are restarting step by step while the business community must make detailed plans to ensure worker safety.

The Covid-19 epidemic left all streets in New York City empty. Photo: Reuters .

Both New York and California have allowed construction, manufacturing and retail systems to operate again in Phase I. In Phase II, a few small businesses and services were allowed to open. while Stage III is for restaurants, bars and entertainment venues. The school system will return after completing all the above stages.

UK

The UK is still the hardest hit country due to the Covid-19 epidemic in Europe. The government of this country on May 11 announced a new roadmap to ease restrictive measures.

Specifically, employees in occupations that cannot work remotely, such as construction, are encouraged to work this week. British people are also allowed to go out even more, although they still have to abide by the rules for social separation.

Concerned about a second outbreak like South Korea , the UK was always ready to reestablish a state of crisis. The country will set up a Biosafety Center using a five-level warning system to promptly identify threats and take appropriate measures.

Similarly, Germany is on the alert even though it started most of the economy last week. Chancellor Angela Merkel has transferred most of its responsibilities and powers to the states to monitor disease progress more closely.

Life after blockade

Goldman Sachs, a financial services company, uses mobile data from Google to evaluate social separation efforts and anti-epidemic decisions.

A baby boy is tested for body temperature in India. Photo: Reuters .

This study shows that India and Italy suffer the most economic losses while Singapore, the UK, Germany and the US are in the middle. Meanwhile, Japan is the least affected country.

According to the Indian Center for Economic Supervision, the Covid-19 epidemic caused 120 million jobs in the country to "evaporate." After Prime Minister Nerendra Modi unexpectedly blocked the country on March 24, millions of migrant workers in India lost both their jobs and their places of residence.

The government has relaxed restrictions in "some safe areas". However, in a televised speech on May 12, Modi announced the extension of the blockade order, while "opening up" about "phase 4 of the blockade period".

In Japan, experts are supporting people to adapt to the "new way of life": maintain the social gap until the world finds the anti-Covid-19 vaccine.