Japanese Prime Minister to decide whether to extend state of emergency on May 4

From Jiji

May 1 2020

TOKYO –  Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Friday that he will make a decision Monday on an extension of the state of emergency his government declared in early April over the outbreak of the new coronavirus. 

Abe instructed economic revitalization minister Yasutoshi Nishimura, who is in charge of measures against the pandemic, to make arrangements for extending the emergency declaration for about one month.

Abe made the remarks in talks with reporters at the prime minister’s office.

The state of emergency is currently set to expire on Wednesday, when the Golden Week holidays end.

The government declared the emergency on April 7 for Tokyo and six other prefectures and expanded it to cover the entire country on April 16.