TOKYO — Japan’s government says the coronavirus state of emergency will end Thursday to help rejuvenate the economy as infections slow.

Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga announced that virus restrictions will be eased gradually.

“Our fight against the coronavirus is now entering a new phase,” Suga said. “Finally, we can see social and economic activities starting to normalize.”

With the lifting, Japan will be free of emergency requirements for the first time in more than six months.

The current state of emergency, which was declared in April, was repeatedly extended and expanded. The state of emergency remained in place even as the country hosted the Summer Olympics and the Paralympics.

The state of an emergency mainly involved asking restaurants and bars to limit hours and not serve alcohol.

Several governors throughout the country have said they plan to get some of those requests in place for the time being.

Despite public weariness and frustration over the measures, Japan has managed to avoid the more restrictive lockdowns imposed elsewhere while recording about 1.69 million cases and 17,500 deaths from COVID-19.

Japan is suspending the use of about 1.63 million doses of Moderna vaccine after contamination was found in some unused vials.

The health ministry said the contamination was reported at multiple vaccination sites.

Some doses may have been administered but no adverse health effects have been reported.

The doses were produced in Spain.

The Japanese distributor Takeda Pharmaceutical suspended the doses manufactured in the same production line as a precaution and asked Moderna to investigate the problem.

The suspension raises the prospect of supply problems in Japan, which is relying on three foreign-developed vaccines for its COVID-19 inoculation campaign.

The suspension also comes amid one of the country's largest surges in cases since the start of the pandemic. On Wednesday, the government expanded its coronavirus state of emergency for a second week in a row.

Four new prefectures added to a separate "quasi-emergency" status, meaning that 33 of Japan's 47 prefectures are now under some type of emergency measures.