The government will hold an advisory board meeting on Friday to
decide on extending the emergency beyond the March 7 deadline. Suga
said a shortage of beds in the capital region and a slow decline in
infections prompted him to consider the move.
"I think that about two weeks will be necessary, so I would like to
make a final decision after hearing the opinions of the experts and
people concerned," Suga told reporters.
While new coronavirus cases have fallen significantly from a peak in
early January, Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike said on Tuesday the pace
of decline had slowed, expressing concern that it may not be enough
to lift restrictions.
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 The government had in January
placed 11 of its 47 prefectures under emergency
restrictions to run to March 7, lifting them
early for all but the Greater Tokyo metropolitan
area, which includes Kanagawa, Saitama and Chiba
prefectures.
Tokyo reported 316 new COVID-19 infections on
Wednesday.
(Reporting by Chris Gallagher and Rocky Swift in
Tokyo; Editing by Simon Cameron-Moore and Steve
Orlofsky)
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