Japan expands virus emergency beyond Tokyo as cases top 300,000

Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga on Wednesday declared a state of emergency in seven additional prefectures, including Osaka and Aichi, expanding the measure as Japan's cumulative total of coronavirus cases topped 300,000 amid a recent spike in infections.Including the Tokyo metropolitan area, which came under a state of emergency last week, a total of 11 prefectures covering more than half of the country's population and around 60 percent of its economy will remain under the measure through Feb. 7.People are being asked to stay home and restaurants to close by 8 p.m., while firms are encourag…READ FULL ARTICLE