Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Monday he had decided to extend the nationwide state of emergency to May 31.
During a meeting with the Japanese government’s coronavirus task force, Abe said he will review the situation in mid-May to see whether the order can be lifted earlier.
Japan has reported nearly 15,000 diagnosed cases of COVID-19 and at least 487 deaths, according to a count kept by Johns Hopkins University.
The island country was forced to postpone the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo till next year due to the coronavirus pandemic.
