Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has decided to declare a nationwide state of emergency in an attempt to prevent the further spread of the new coronavirus, a government official said Thursday.
The government had been considering expanding of the state of emergency, currently covering Tokyo, Osaka and five prefectures, to also include Kyoto, Aichi and Hokkaido. But instead it will likely be extended nationwide due to a rise in infections in other parts of Japan.
The declaration, based on a revised law enacted last month, has given the governors of the seven prefectures the power to call for schools and some businesses to close until the Golden Week holidays end on May 6.