Japan declares state of emergency as coronavirus cases climb, but experts fear 'it's too late'

Shinzo Abe
(Image credit: Tomohiro Ohsumi / Getty Images)

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has officially declared a state of emergency in seven prefectures over the coronavirus crisis amid a surge in new cases.

Abe on Tuesday declared a state of emergency that will last until May 6 in prefectures including Tokyo, where residents had already been urged to avoid nonessential travel and which recently went from reporting fewer than 20 new cases a day on March 25 to reporting nearly 150 new cases on Sunday, per NPR.

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Brendan Morrow

Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.