Japan's Abe vows unprecedented stimulus as Tokyo coronavirus cases rise

Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Saturday promised an unprecedented package of steps to cushion the world’s third-biggest economy from the coronavirus pandemic, saying the country was close to a national emergency as infections surged.

Abe said the “huge, powerful” measures will include fiscal stimulus, monetary steps and tax breaks for companies, though the details have not been finalized.

“We are in a critical stage. We need to be ready for a long-term battle,” Abe said in a nationally televised news conference, adding: “I want to be straightforward about that.”

Infections in Japan have climbed to more than 1,500, with 52 deaths, excluding