Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is likely to extend a nationwide state of emergency imposed over the coronavirus, possibly by another month, local media reported on Thursday. The measure was initially declared on April 7 across seven regions experiencing a spike in infections, but was later expanded to cover the entire country. ADVERTISEMENTWith the initial month-long period coming to an end next week after the country’s annual Golden Week holidays, local media reported that Abe was now expected to extend the measure, either until the end of May or for another full month until June 6. I think severe situations are continuing.”Local media including the Nikkei newspaper reported the government would convene a panel of experts on Friday to discuss the virus and the state of emergency, adding that the experts had already informally backed a move to extend the measures. Japan has so far seen a relatively limited outbreak compared to parts of Europe and the United States, with around 14,000 infections recorded so far and 415 deaths.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer April 30, 2020 07:07 UTC