Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said that he will declare a state of emergency for Tokyo and six other prefectures as early as Tuesday to bolster measures to fight the coronavirus, but that there will be no hard lockdowns. Abe said experts on a government-commissioned task force urged him to prepare to declare a state of emergency, with the COVID-19 outbreak rapidly expanding in major cities including Tokyo, and hospitals and medical staff overburdened with patients. He said the state of emergency will cover Tokyo, Osaka, Fukuoka and four other hard-hit prefectures, and will be in effect for about a month. Tokyo 'already critical': health officialThe government enacted a special law in March that paved the way for Abe to declare a state of emergency. Abe said he will hold a news conference on Tuesday to further explain the state of emergency.

Source: CBC News April 06, 2020 13:07 UTC