TOKYO - Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga officially expanded and extended the nation's coronavirus state of emergency on Tuesday, as government advisers recommended legal changes that would allow penalties for violations.The measures, approved by a government task force, add seven prefectures to the six areas already under a state of emergency and extend it to Sept.
12.Ten other prefectures were put under a "quasi-emergency," which had previously encompassed six prefectures, bringing about two-thirds of the nation under some form of emergency as COVID-19 infections "explode" across the nation, in Suga’s words.Hospitals have been stretched thin and some seriously sick people have been turned away.