"아베, 코로나19 긴급사태 의향 굳혀…이르면 오늘 선언"<br /><br />With Japan seeing a recent surge in coronavirus cases,... Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is set to declare a state of emergency as early as this Tuesday.<br />And that unprecedented move could remain in place for up to a month.<br />Kim Jae-hee reports.<br />Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is preparing to announce a state of emergency.<br />The emergency declaration, to be issued as early as Tuesday,... will cover seven prefectures,... including Tokyo and Osaka.<br />"Since there are already critical situations happening at medical facilities, we are advised that we, the government should prepare for the declaration of a state of emergency."<br />If Abe makes the call,... it would be the first time such a declaration has been issued in Japan.<br />Abe said the unprecedented move could remain in place for about a month.<br />It comes as concerns rise that Japan's public health system could collapse,... under a wave of coronavirus infections in key metropolitan areas.<br />Tokyo is experiencing a lack of hospital beds due to the recent increase in the number of infected patients.<br />The declaration would help the government contain the virus,... by allowing local authorities to construct temporary medical facilities by appropriating private land or private buildings.<br />It would also allow local governments to limit outdoor activities by urging the cancellation of events, or restricting use of certain facilities to prevent the spread of the virus.<br />But the Japanese government stressed there would be no lockdown like those seen in other countries.<br />More than 4-thousand-and-5-hundred people have tested positive for the COVID-19 in Japan, and over a thousand of them are in Tokyo.<br />Kim Jae-hee, Arirang News.<br />
