Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has decided to extend the country's national state of emergency to May 31.
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Abe will consider lifting it without waiting for its May 31 expiration if experts decide that is possible, based on detailed analysis of regional infection trends, he said on Monday at the start of a meeting of the government's coronavirus task force.
While much of the world is relaxing lockdown measures, Japan is extending its state of emergency to stop the spread of coronavirus and prevent its health system becoming overwhelmed.
Even though Japan has not experienced a huge outbreak compared with some global hotspots, coronavirus has infected more than 15,000 and killed 538 in the country, according to public broadcaster NHK.
The state of emergency had been due to expire on Wednesday.
The government might also ease some current coronavirus-related constraints on economic activity by allowing places with relatively low infection risks, such as parks, to reopen, even in hard-hit prefectures.
Emergency provisions give governors in those prefectures the authority to request residents to stay at home and businesses to close. There are, however, no penalties for non-compliance.
The virus-triggered slump in business activity is threatening to throw the world's third-largest economy into a deep recession, prompting calls for more government spending.
Japan's parliament last week approved an extra budget to fund a record $US1.1 trillion stimulus package.
Australian Associated Press
