Japan lifts coronavirus emergency outside Tokyo, Osaka regions

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Thursday lifted a state of emergency for 39 of the country's 47 prefectures ahead of its planned expiration at the end of the month, paving the way for businesses to gradually resume operations as the spread of the new coronavirus has been kept in check.Urban regions such as Tokyo and Osaka, however, will remain under the state of emergency and people will be asked to stay at home to ensure newly reported cases continue to fall and the burden on hospitals eases.As Abe announced his decision to lift the state of emergency, he said the 39 prefectures have…READ FULL ARTICLE