Japan set to extend emergency lockdown to 12 Sept

Japan is set on Tuesday to extend its state of emergency in Tokyo and other regions to Sept. 12 and expand the restrictions to seven more prefectures, public broadcaster NHK reported. Public health experts are meeting to discuss the steps and Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga will hold a news conference at 9:00 p.m. (1200 GMT) to explain the decision.

The current state of emergency is due to expire on Aug. 31, but a continuing surge in coronavirus cases has spurred calls to extend it. Tokyo announced 2,962 new daily cases on Monday, after a record 5,773 on Friday. The government will expand the state of emergency to the prefectures of Ibaraki, Tochigi, Gunma, Shizuoka, Kyoto, Hyogo and Fukuoka, the public broadcaster said.

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