TOKYO (REUTERS) - The Japanese government is planning to extend the state of emergency over the new coronavirus pandemic by about one month for the entire country, the Nikkei business daily reported on Wednesday (April 29).

The government will make a final decision after hearing from experts at a meeting on Friday, the Nikkei said.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told the Diet, as Japan's Parliament is known, earlier on Wednesday that it was difficult to foresee the emergency decree being lifted as planned.

The state of emergency is currently scheduled to end on May 6.