The central government plans to extend the state of emergency covering Tokyo and other regions struggling to contain coronavirus outbreaks by one month until March 7, an official with knowledge of the situation said Monday.
Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said he will make a final decision on the extension after hearing from an expert panel on Tuesday.
"Coronavirus cases are declining, but we must remain vigilant for a while longer," he told reporters after meeting with members of his Cabinet, including Yasutoshi Nishimura, minister in charge of the nation's COVID-19 response, and health minister Norihisa Tamura.