Japanese Prime Minister Shinzō Abe is set to decide tomorrow whether to lift the state of emergency in the five prefectures where it is in place - three of which border Tokyo, and one of which is Tokyo - but Nishimura has made it clear what the decision is likely to be.

According to news agency Kyodo, Nishimura said that overall "there is no change in the trend of decline" in new cases, meaning the criteria for lifting the state of emergency had been met. 

Nishimura is in charge of the Japanese Government's emergency response. 

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government reported three new cases in the capital on Friday (May 22) and two yesterday - it has averaged a little more than seven new cases per day for the last week, well below the threshold of 20 for removing the state of emergency.

Tokyo prefecture is responsible for more than 5,140 of Japan's total of more than 16,000 confirmed coronavirus cases.

Tokyo was due to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games in July, August and September, but the crisis led to them being postponed until 2021.

Coordination Commission chairman John Coates admitted recently that organisers have "real problems" on their hands because of the global nature of the Games and the fact that there would be "athletes having to come from 206 different nations".

That means having the deadly virus under control in Japan may not alone be enough to make the Games possible next year, but Tokyo exiting its state of emergency is still an important step.

International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach has confirmed that if the Games can not go ahead in 2021, they will be cancelled.

If the state of emergency is lifted, Tokyo could start a phased re-opening, with museums, schools and sporting facilities allowed to resume activities in the first phase.

Professional baseball and basketball matches without spectators, as well as small events, would also be allowed in phase one.

Neighbouring prefecture Chiba reported its third day in a row without any new cases of the virus today.

Hokkaido to the north and Tokyo's neighbours Kanagawa and Saitama are the other prefectures still operating under a state of emergency.

Japan's national peak for new cases came on April 11 - 743 - while a high of 49 deaths was recorded on May 4.