Japan PM says to consult experts on whether to extend state of emergency

TOKYO, April 30 (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Thursday that the government would consult experts to decide whether to extend the state of emergency beyond May 6.

Abe, speaking in parliament, also said the situation surrounding the coronavirus epidemic continued to be "severe".

The Nikkei business daily reported on Wednesday that the government was planning to extend the nationwide state of emergency by about one month. (Reporting by Kaori Kaneko Editing by Chang-Ran Kim)