Japan extends state of emergency until weeks before the Olympics as COVID-19 cases remain high

Olympic rings
(Image credit: Matt Roberts/Getty Images)

A state of emergency in Japan is set to continue until just weeks before the Olympics, as COVID-19 cases there remain high.

The Japanese government on Friday announced it would extend the state of emergency in Tokyo and eight other prefectures until June 20, The New York Times reports. Japan has been experiencing a fourth wave of COVID-19, reporting over 4,000 infections a day, although the number of new cases has been in decline

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Brendan Morrow

Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.