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

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is set to announce the extension of the state of emergency on April 4 until the end of May, said a local broadcaster. Abe is also expected to announce additional prevention measures for COVID-19 which has claimed around 500 lives so far with nearly 15,000 coronavirus cases in the country.

As conveyed earlier by the Prime Minister during a press conference last week, he will address the nation where he will also explain the reason behind the decision. Abe shared the government’s assessment of the recent decline in the spread of the virus around the country and highlighted the continuing difficulties faced by medical institutions.

“Considering the highly severe conditions faced by medical institutions, and the burden on healthcare professionals who are right now devoting themselves to saving as many lives as possible, we recognize that the current circumstances are still extremely challenging,” Abe told the news conference.

Read: Japan Could Ease Virus Restrictions And Resume Economic Activities

'Prepare for prolonged battle'

Abe admitted that it will be difficult to return to normalcy after May 6 and the country must prepare for a prolonged battle. The Japanese Parliament has already enacted a supplementary budget of a record $1.1 trillion as a stimulus package. 

Read: COVID-19: Japan Plans To Extend The State Of Emergency For Another Month

Japan has reported 14,877 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 487 deaths owing to the infectious disease. According to the latest report, over 3.5 million coronavirus cases have been confirmed worldwide with over 248,000 deaths, overwhelming the health care facilities across the globe.

Economy Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura told a press briefing on May 3 that parks, museums and other recreational premises might be allowed to resume in weeks ahead with proper social distancing measures. He added that the premises will be timely disinfected and social distancing measures will be ensured to control the rate of transmission after easing restrictions.

Read: Japanese PM To Consult Health Experts On Whether To Extend State Of Emergency

Read: Tokyo Olympics 'difficult' If Pandemic Not Contained: Japan PM Shinzo Abe

(Image: Twitter / @JPN_PMO)