COVID State Of Emergency Extended To 20 June Just A Month Before Olympics

Multiple outlets reporting that Economic revitalization minister Yasutoshi Nishimura has announced an extension to the state of emergency in Japan due to the COVID-19 pandemic to 20 June. The SoE, in place in Tokyo, Osaka, and seven other Japanese prefectures, was originally due to expire at end-May.

• The 20 June expiry for the SoE is just a month before the planned opening of the Olympic Games in Tokyo, intended for 23 July. IOC chief Dick Pound stated in an interview with Jiji Press that a decision on whether the games go ahead would be made by end-June.
• PM Yoshihide Suga is due to formally announce the extension at a press conference later today.
• Opinion polls increasingly show the Japanese public opposed to the hosting of the Olympics amidst the pandemic, with the liberal Asahi Shimbun newspaper (an official partner of the Games) calling for their cancellation.
• A second cancellation following 2020 could further damage the standing of PM Suga's gov't, already struggling with low approval ratings ahead of the October general election.
• Should Suga's approval rating decline further the governing Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) could seek to select another leadership candidate to take the party into the election.