People wearing protective masks, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, take an escalator at a shopping mall in Tokyo, Japan, August 7, 2021. REUTERS FILE PHOTO
TOKYO — The Japanese government is set to extend its “state of emergency” soft lockdown in regions including Tokyo to the middle of September as well as adding several other regions, the Sankei Shimbun daily reported on Monday.
The current state of emergency is due to expire on Aug. 31, but a continuing surge in coronavirus cases has spurred calls to extend it.
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