Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s Tuesday night announcement of a state of emergency marked the latest and most dramatic step in Japan’s battle against the COVID-19 pandemic.
The emergency declaration covering seven prefectures, which will last through May 6, is also a fresh setback for the J. League as it attempts to restart its season.
Already, the break since late February’s first round has surpassed that of the 2011 campaign, which was halted for several weeks in the aftermath of the March 11 earthquake and tsunami disaster. With the league on Wednesday announcing the postponement of all fixtures before May 30, this year’s suspension could end up doubling that of the one nine years ago.