CORONAVIRUS
Coronavirus: Which countries have declared state of emergency?
Japan and Ethiopia have called a state of emergency during the coronavirus pandemic as many other countries remain in lockdown and with struct distancing rules.
Many countries have called a state of emergency including, most recently, Japan and Ethiopia as they struggle to get to grips with the coronavirus outbreak. The coronavirus continues to spread around the world with increasing unpredictability. After the first case was discover in China around the turn of the year and Italy was hit considerably by the virus, countries started to take action in an effort to curb the threat.
Some countries were quick to close boarders and others needed to call a state of emergency to take control of private companies to be able to force them to close. Spain's government, for example, took control of private hospitals and called a state of alarm, which is similar to a state of emergency. The same happened in Italy.
“To relieve that pressure there will have to be a transformation in people’s behaviour,” Shinzo Abe said as he closed down Japan. “Preventing an explosion in cases, saving people in serious conditions and protecting you and your loved ones depends on how we change our behaviour.”
Romania cancelled schedule elections with 49 cases and the Czech Republic brought in strict rules as announced a state of emergency also.
Ethiopia also called a state of emergency on Wednesday as the latest country to do so. "Because the coronavirus pandemic is getting worse, the Ethiopian government has decided to declare a state of emergency under Article 93 of the constitution," Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said in a statement on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, in the USA, 48 states have declared a state of emergency. Donald Trump called a national emergency on March 13 after weeks of playing down the threat and suggesting the death toll might be close to zero and saying the
Countries to call a state of emergency to date
Ethipia, Japan, Armenia, Estonia, Georgia, Latvia, Moldova, Romania, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Spain, Italy.
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