Japan to decide as early as Monday whether to extend coronavirus emergency - NHK

Japan will formally decide as early as Monday whether to extend its state of emergency over the novel coronavirus, which was originally set to end on May 6, public broadcaster NHK said.

The government is planning to extend the emergency for about a month, sources have told Reuters.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told reporters on Thursday it would be hard to return to everyday life on May 7 and called on the country to prepare for a "drawn-out battle."