Japan's PM to declare state of emergency lasting up to 6 months: Japanese media

"아베, 코로나19 긴급사태 의향 굳혀…이르면 내일 선언"As the number of newly confirmed coronavirus cases grows rapidly in Japan, its Prime Minister Shinzo Abe looks likely to announce a state of emergency.Various Japanese media have been reporting on this Monday that the Abe administration is preparing for such announcement and that it could come as early as Tuesday.If a state of emergency is declared, it would be the first time such a declaration has been issued in Japan, and it could remain in place for at least three weeks to a month.This comes amid concerns that the public health system there could collapse under a wave of in infections in metropolitan areas such as Tokyo and Osaka.Currently, Tokyo is experiencing a lack of hospital beds.Announcing a state of emergency can allow Japan to build temporary medical facilities and limit outdoor activities.Japan has more than 4-thousand-500 COVID-19 cases, and more than one thousand of them are in Tokyo.