27 Jan
Japanese officials say the government may have to extend its state of emergency, if no major improvement is seen in coronavirus infections in Tokyo and elsewhere.
A state of emergency is currently in effect for 11 prefectures, including Tokyo, till February 7.
The daily tally of new cases confirmed in the capital has been gradually falling since the state of emergency was issued on January 7. But experts say the decline is slow, and the proportion of the elderly is increasing.
Hospitals are under strain, and there are worries that the number of serious cases could rise further among the elderly patients.
The minister in charge of the country's coronavirus response, Nishimura Yasutoshi, said in the Diet on Tuesday that the government would make a decision by a certain time on what to do with the state of emergency.
He said it would cause confusion if a choice is made immediately before the planned expiration date.
The government plans to study whether to extend the declaration while closely monitoring infections across the country as well as strains on medical systems.
nhk
