Japan Prepares To Extend State Of Emergency
The Japanese government is finalizing the details of its planned extension to the nationwide state of emergency, ahead of a formal decision on Monday.
On Friday, Prime Minister Abe Shinzo said his government plans to keep the measure in place for about a month to contain the spread of the coronavirus. It was set to expire on Wednesday.
Earlier in the day, a government panel of experts said the number of new cases is on a downward trend. However, it also noted that the target of reducing person-to-person contact by 80 percent is seeing mixed results among different age groups and regions.
The exact length of the extension will be based on changes in the number of cases and the situation regarding healthcare systems in each region.
Another issue is whether to expand the designation of "special alert," which currently applies to Tokyo and 12 other prefectures.
The government is also expected to discuss the extent to which restrictions should be eased for residents, businesses and schools in regions with relatively few new infections.
