Japan's Suga extends state of emergency to March 7

Shorter restaurant hours help cut infections but hospitals remain under stress

Japan's Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga on Feb. 2 said the state of emergency will be extended in 10 prefectures, including Tokyo, to March 7 . (Photo by Arisa Moriyama)

Nikkei staff writers

February 2, 2021 13:32 JST

Updated on February 2, 2021 20:52 JST

TOKYO -- Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga on Tuesday said the state of emergency in 10 prefectures, including Tokyo, will be extended by a month to March 7.

The extension will not cover Tochigi Prefecture, where the number of new infections is judged to have dropped sufficiently.