Japan declares nationwide state of emergency to combat coronavirus www.latimes.com

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced a state of emergency for all of Japan on Thursday, expanding a previous order that covered only Tokyo and several other urban areas.
Japan has more than 9,000 coronavirus cases and has recorded about 150 deaths from COVID-19.
AdvertisementAbe’s previous declaration of emergency April 7 covered only Tokyo and six other prefectures deemed to be at highest risk.
The nationwide decree came after Abe convened a meeting of experts Thursday and secured their necessary approval for such a step.
AdvertisementAbe’s coronavirus measures have been criticized for being too slow and too lax.