TOKYO (Reuters): Japan is set this week to revise a law allowing Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to declare a formal state of emergency over the coronavirus, if needed, as Abe faces persistent criticism for his handling of the outbreak ahead of the Tokyo Olympic Games.
In perhaps his biggest test since returning to office in 2012, Japan's longest-serving premier has come under fire for what critics have called an initial lack of leadership, followed by abrupt steps like school closures that left parents and employers scrambling.
Among the criticisms is that Abe's government was too slow to put curbs on visitors from China - a key source of economic growth - after the outbreak originated there late last year. In a recent opinion poll, 50 per cent said they didn't approve of Abe's handling of the outbreak, versus 37 per cent who said they did.
In its latest move, the government plans on Tuesday to submit to Parliament a Bill to revise a 2012 law, enacted after the 2009 epidemic, so it can be applied to the coronavirus if necessary. Parliament is expected to sign off on it on Friday. Abe has already requested that schools nationwide close and large-scale events be pared back or cancelled.
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