A woman wearing a protective face mask walks on a street during a Golden Week, a week-long holiday in Japan, under a nationwide state of emergency in Tokyo, Japan May 1, 2020, as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues. REUTERS/Issei Ka
Japan will release details on Monday of its plan to restart economic activity hit by the coronavirus pandemic, Economy Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura said Saturday.
The 34 prefectures that aren’t designated as "special alert” will see a partial easing of restriction requests once spread of the virus comes under better control, Nishimura said in a video conference with the governors of Tokyo and Osaka. The 13 prefectures that do have that status can expect a more concrete explanation on Monday, he said.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said yesterday he is leaning toward extending the country’s national virus emergency into June with a final decision on any such move likely on Monday. Japan has confirmed 14,305 people as infected with the coronavirus and 455 deaths, far below levels seen in the U.S. and parts of Europe.
The state of emergency, which enables regional governors to instruct businesses to close down and ask people to stay at home as far as possible, was initially set to end May 6.
Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike and Osaka Governor Hirofumi Yoshimura asked Nishimura for the national government to swiftly put support measures into law, including assistance for businesses’ rent payments. They also asked that regional governments be given more power to seek cooperation on responding to the pandemic.
