TOKYO: Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will declare a state of emergency over COVID-19 as early as Tuesday (Apr 7) and will likely announce his plans to do so on Monday, the Yomiuri newspaper reported.
Under a law revised in March to cover the coronavirus outbreak, the prime minister can declare a state of emergency if the disease poses a “grave danger” to lives and if its rapid spread could have a huge impact on the economy. The virus has already increased Japan’s recession risk.
The move would give governors in hard-hit regions added authority to ask people to stay home, cancel events, and close schools and other public facilities.
READ: As Japan’s COVID-19 cases rise, Tokyo nudges PM Abe to declare state of emergency
READ: Japan expands ban on visitors as COVID-19 cases climb
More than 130 people were newly infected with the novel coronavirus in Tokyo, Japan’s NHK public broadcaster reported on Sunday, citing officials from the metropolitan government.
It was the highest daily jump in confirmed cases so far, bringing the number of positive cases in the capital to more than 1,000, NHK said.
Tokyo’s metropolitan government has strongly urged people to stay at home as the city of 13 million has seen an uptick in the number of cases in recent days.
BOOKMARK THIS: Our comprehensive coverage of the coronavirus outbreak and its developments
Download our app or subscribe to our Telegram channel for the latest updates on the coronavirus outbreak: https://cna.asia/telegram
More Stories
Active Inquiry in Organizational Change
How Management Consulting Can Profit Your Business Firm
Eight Skills of Highly Successful Consultants