TOKYO -- Japanese lawmakers on Friday gave Prime Minister Shinzo Abe the authority to declare a state of emergency if the new-coronavirus outbreak escalates, giving authorities more options for curtailing its spread.
COVID-19 was added to legislation that deals with influenza, allowing Abe to make the declaration as early as Saturday if the disease poses a clear and serious threat to the lives or health of citizens and if a rapid nationwide spread would severely impact people's lives and economic well-being.
