Japan to expand COVID-19 state of emergency to 8 more prefectures

Japan plans to expand the COVID-19 state of emergency covering Tokyo and 12 other areas to eight more prefectures as it looks to quell the country's largest wave of infections, government sources said Tuesday.Hokkaido, Miyagi, Gifu, Aichi, Mie, Shiga, Okayama and Hiroshima will come under the measure from Friday until Sept. 12. Another four prefectures -- Kochi, Saga, Nagasaki and Miyazaki -- will be newly added to the quasi-state of emergency, the sources said.The quasi-state of emergency, currently covering 16 prefectures, allows governors to place business restrictions on specific areas …READ FULL ARTICLE