TOKYO : Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will on Tuesday declare a state of emergency in parts of the country, including Tokyo, over a spike in coronavirus infections.
Abe announced the plan on Monday, citing "rapid increases of new infections, particularly in urban areas like Tokyo and Osaka".
His government secured approval for the move Tuesday morning from a taskforce convened to oversee the declaration, which will empower governors of seven regions to ask people to stay inside and businesses to close their doors.
Abe is expected to formally declare the state of emergency later in the day and it will take effect from midnight. The measure stops far short of the sort of lockdown seen in parts of Europe and the United States, with no