Japan- PM Shinzo Abe set to extend state of emergency until end-May

Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced on Monday he had chosen to prolong the country’s national state of emergency to May 31.

Abe will examine elevating the state of emergency without pausing for its May 31 expiration if specialist advisors determine that is plausible based on a comprehensive analysis of regional infection trends, he spoke at a meeting of the government’s coronavirus task force.

He said his advisors stated that Japan had not detected the dangerous surge in infections seen in some countries overseas, but the number of new infection cases had not dropped enough and there were regions where the medical system was facing struggles.

“Based on that view, I will extend the state of emergency that was announced on April 7 until May 31,” Abe said, adding that it would remain nationwide.