Japan is expected to further expand the emergency situation on Wednesday as part of efforts to curb the spread of coronavirus infection.
Last week, the country declared a state of emergency in Tokyo and its three surrounding provinces effective last Friday until February 7.
The government will likely include seven other provinces in the enforcement, including Osaka, Kyoto and Fukuoka.
In this regard, the government reportedly planned to hear the opinion of experts in the advisory panel meeting on Wednesday afternoon before implementing its plan.
The yen traded, however, was not impressed with the situation as it received support from the depreciation of the US dollar.
Following the implementation of sanctions in Japan, the Nikkei expects a decline in economic growth forecast by the Bank of Japan (BOJ) in the 2020-21 quarter ending in March.
Japan has recorded about 298,000 cases and 4,192 deaths from coronavirus so far. The pandemic crisis in the country has been on the rise since late December, with daily cases being recorded at the highest level since the outbreak began.
