Abe to extend national state of emergency

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Friday announced preparations towards extending the national state of emergency by around one month, due to the new coronavirus pandemic.

Abe said a final decision will be made on Monday, May 4th.

Japan declared a month-long state of emergency on April 7 in Tokyo and six other urban areas, and requested residents to stay at home. That measure was later expanded to cover the entire country.

Requests for non-essential business closures were also issued in Tokyo and several other prefectures.

Local governors in hard-hit areas and medical experts concerned about the collapse of the medical systems have called for a month-long extension.

Japan has 14,281 cases of Covid-19 with 432 deaths, according to the Japanese Health Ministry.

According to Johns Hopkins University the number of cases are 14,088 and the deaths 430.

There have been more than 3.2 million cases of coronavirus reported by governments around the world, according to Johns Hopkins University.

The number of infections is thought to be far higher because many people have not been tested, and studies suggest people can be infected with the virus without feeling sick.

For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough, that clear up in two to three weeks.

But it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, and death for some people, especially older adults and people with existing health problems.