Coronavirus latest: Japan readies for state of emergency, Boris Johnson in ‘good spirits’ in hospital

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has proposed a state of emergency and announced a US$1 trillion stimulus package

UK PM Boris Johnson admitted to hospital for tests, 10 days after testing positive for Covid-19

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Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe takes his mask off before announcing plans to declare a state of emergency over the spread of the new coronavirus. Photo: Kyodo

Published: 12:45am, 6 Apr 2020Updated: 12:37am, 7 Apr 2020

The United States and Britain braced for one of their bleakest weeks in living memory on Monday as the social and financial toll of the coronavirus pandemic deepened.

Japan is set to declare an emergency on Tuesday and new infections in Italy and especially Spain showed signs of slowing, with emergency rooms in the hard-hit Madrid region returning almost to normal a week after scenes of patients sleeping on floors and in chairs.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who was infected last month, was hospitalised overnight in what his office described as a “precautionary step” after persistent symptoms. The 55-year-old Conservative leader, who had a fever for days, is the first known head of government to fall ill with the disease.

“On the advice of my doctor, I went into hospital for some routine tests as I’m still experiencing coronavirus symptoms,” Johnson said on Twitter. “I’m in good spirits and keeping in touch with my team as we work together to fight this virus and keep everyone safe.”

World shares rose after some hard-hit European areas saw glimmers of hope, with rates of infections and deaths slowing. Leaders cautioned, however, that any gains could easily be reversed if people did not continue to adhere to strict social distancing measures and national lockdowns. Benchmarks were up about 3 per cent in Paris and Frankfurt and Tokyo jumped more than 4 per cent.

In Washington, US Surgeon General Jerome Adams offered a stark warning about the surge of coronavirus deaths the nation is facing.