Abe unveils massive $1 trillion coronavirus aid package

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Tuesday declared a state of emergency to fight coronavirus infections in major population centres and rolled out a nearly one-trillion-dollar stimulus package to soften the economic blow.

The state of emergency, giving authorities more power to press people to stay at home and businesses to close, will last a month and be imposed in the capital, Tokyo, and six other prefectures, accounting for about 44 percent of Japan’s population.