Japan extends virus emergency to March 7 as hospitals under strain

The Japanese government on Tuesday extended the state of emergency covering Tokyo and other regions by one month to March 7, as hospitals remain under pressure despite declining coronavirus cases.The state of emergency will remain in place in 10 prefectures including Osaka, Aichi and Fukuoka, Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said at a meeting of the government's COVID-19 task force. Tochigi, north of the capital, will be the only prefecture to have the emergency lifted on Feb. 7 because its situation has significantly improved.Under the state of emergency, people are urged to refrain from unne…READ FULL ARTICLE