Abe Extends Japan’s State of Emergency Through May in Bid to Slow Virus

(Bloomberg) --

Japan extended its nationwide state of emergency until May 31, with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe saying the country's coronavirus measures need more time to reduce infection rates.

Abe told a task force Monday that experts would reexamine the situation around May 14 and that the government was prepared to remove some areas from the state of emergency early, if possible. Abe had indicated last week that he would probably prolong the measures beyond the original May 6 end date.

“Japan is starting to see some positive results,” Abe said in televised remarks. “But with a considerable number of people infected at this point, the decline in infections is by no means at a sufficient level.”

While Japan hasn't experienced the surge in cases seen in some countries, experts have warned of the risks of letting its guard down too soon, as limited testing makes it hard to assess the scale of infections. The state of emergency enables regional governors to request businesses to close down and ask people to stay at home as much as possible.

Abe said at a later press conference on Monday he's aiming to have Avigan, an antiviral drug developed by Fujifilm Holdings Corp., approved for use as a Covid-19 treatment by the end of this month. The nation's health ministry has also received an application for expedited approval of Gilead Sciences Inc.'s remdesivir, he said.

Thirteen prefectures in Japan with a special alert status, including Tokyo and Osaka, will need to adhere to current measures to reduce interpersonal contact by about 80%, Abe said. He plans to ask the other 34 prefectures to take gradual measures to balance both preventing the spread of infection and maintaining social and economic activity.

Japan had more than 15,000 confirmed Covid-19 cases as of Monday, the lowest official tally among Group of Seven leading democracies. Tokyo, -- the nation's worst-hit region -- announced 87 new cases, compared with a peak of 201 some two weeks earlier. More than 4,650 people have been infected in the capital.

The number of new confirmed coronavirus cases in the world's third-largest economy is on a downward trend, raising hopes that the government measures have had some effect.