Japan's decision on extending emergency to come during Golden Week

Partial lifting risks encouraging city dwellers to travel to remote regions

20200421N Ginza streets

A pedestrian in the empty streets of Tokyo's Ginza district April 18: Japan is assessing whether the state of emergency has helped combat the coronavirus. © Kyodo

SHUNSUKE SHIGETA, Nikkei staff writer

TOKYO -- Japan will decide during the upcoming Golden Week holidays whether to extend the country's state of emergency beyond May 6, looking at such numbers as the pace of infection increases that reflect the effectiveness of the measures taken so far. 

The government's initial decree was issued on April 7, covering Tokyo and six other prefectures. Given the estimated two-week incubation period for the virus, if the measures have been effective, the infection rate should start to slow starting this week in those areas. 

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