Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Friday the government would plan for an approximately month-long extension of a state of emergency declared over the coronavirus pandemic.

Abe put in place an initial month-long state of emergency for seven regions on April 7, later expanding it to cover the entire country.

But with the measures due to expire on May 6, Abe said he had instructed his minister for the virus outbreak Yasutoshi Nishimura to plan for an extension.