Japan to convene experts meeting about expanding emergency

TOKYO (Reuters) – The Japanese government will hold a meeting with a panel of experts on Thursday to consult about whether to expand the country’s partial state of emergency, chief spokesman Yoshihide Suga told a news conference.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is preparing to expand the state of emergency that he has declared for seven of Japan’s 47 prefectures to the rest of the nation in a bid to contain the coronavirus, local media reported earlier.

(Reporting by Chris Gallagher; Editing by Toby Chopra)