A panel of government-appointed experts had approved a plan to reduce the state of emergency in seven provinces including Tokyo, which will host the Olympics from July 23, Japanese Economy Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura said on Thursday.

Speaking at the end of the meeting, Nishimura, who oversees Japan’s coronavirus response, said the latter half of the discussions focused on the wisdom of lifting the emergency state in Tokyo.

With the pace of decline in new infections slowing in recent days, some warned of a likely recovery and stressed the need to respond without hesitation through further curbs or even the reinstatement of a state of emergency, Nishimura said.