Asia

Japan Mulls 1-Month Extension to State of Emergency Over Coronavirus

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe speaks at a session of the House of Councillors’ budget committee in Tokyo on April 30, 2020. / KYODO

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By Kyodo News 30 April 2020

TOKYO—The Japanese government is considering extending the current nationwide state of emergency through May 6 by around one month in a bid to contain the spread of the new coronavirus, government sources said Thursday.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is expected to seek opinions, possibly on Friday, from a panel of experts tasked with assessing the spread of coronavirus infections across the nation, before he makes a judgment on the extension, the sources said.

Abe first declared a monthlong state of emergency until May 6 for Tokyo, Osaka and five other prefectures on April 7 amid a sharp rise in infections in such urban areas. He expanded it on April 16 to all 47 prefectures ahead of the Golden Week holidays from late April when many Japanese people usually return to their hometowns or travel for vacations or day trips.