Some members of a government expert panel warned that a recent surge in COVID-19 cases was severe enough to impose a nationwide state of emergency, Economy Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura, who is in charge of the pandemic response, said on Thursday.
Nishimura, at a news conference, said the panel ultimately agreed to a government proposal to expand emergency restrictions to eight more prefectures.
(Reporting by Linda Sieg; Editing by Christopher Cushing)
