Japan’s Abe orders prompt update on new coronavirus

January 25, 2020

Tokyo--Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe instructed cabinet members Friday to provide the public promptly with accurate information about pneumonia linked to a coronavirus outbreak in the Chinese city of Wuhan.

Abe also instructed them to provide support to Japanese nationals abroad through local embassies.

"I want the public to take usual preventive measures against colds and stay calm without becoming overly concerned about the outbreak," he told a meeting of relevant ministers.

Japan has confirmed its second case of the new strain of coronavirus, while in China, more than 800 cases have been reported with the death toll far exceeding 20.

Abe called on the ministers to continue making the utmost efforts to prevent the spread of the virus in Japan and ensure the safety of Japanese citizens abroad.

He also asked them to strengthen quarantine measures and inspection systems at local health institutes nationwide.

"We'll share information with the Chinese government and others and take all possible measures at a time when the number of visitors to Japan is expected to surge during the Lunar New Year holiday period" from Friday, Abe told a parliamentary meeting.

At a press conference, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Akihiro Nishimura said that some 710 Japanese nationals had been staying in Wuhan as of Thursday.

Transport minister Kazuyoshi Akaba told a separate press conference that his ministry will distribute health check cards to all cruise passengers visiting Japan from China to encourage those not feeling well to report their health conditions voluntarily.

The health ministry has already announced a plan to distribute such health cards to air travelers arriving from China.

The Tokyo metropolitan government held a meeting to discuss ways to prevent the spread of the coronavirus in the capital, with Friday marking six months before the start of the 2020 Olympics and Paralympics.

"I want all Tokyo residents to cooperate" to prevent the spread of the disease, Governor Yuriko Koike told the meeting. Jiji Press