at 20:00 (JST), February 13

NHK has learned that a Tokyo taxi driver has been confirmed to be infected with the new strain of coronavirus that emerged in China.

Japan's health ministry says further 44 cases of coronavirus infection have been confirmed on a cruise quarantined on a dock in Yokohama.

The Japanese government has devised the set of emergency measures to deal with the new coronavirus outbreak.

https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/upld/medias/en/radio/news/20200213200000_english_1.mp3


Key words : taxi driver infected
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20200213_42/

A taxi driver in Tokyo has tested positive for the new coronavirus. Japan's health ministry is investigating how he was infected.

Key words : wakayama
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20200213_47/

Authorities in Wakayama Prefecture, in western Japan, say a male doctor in his 50s living there has been confirmed to be infected with the new coronavirus.

Aside from 218 cases from the cruise ship, 31 people have tested positive in Japan, including 12 people who were evacuated on chartered flights arranged by the government.

Key words : health ministry 44 cases
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20200213_28/

Japan's health ministry says another 44 cases of new coronavirus infection have been confirmed on the cruise ship Diamond Princess.

This brings the number of passengers and crew members found to have been infected with the virus to 218.

The ship is now quarantined at a dock in Yokohama, near Tokyo.

Key words : confine vessel without
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20200213_26/

Japan's government has decided to allow some people on board the coronavirus-stricken cruise ship Diamond Princess to disembark as early as Friday. They include the elderly people with chronic health problems.

The number of passengers and crew found to have been infected with the virus rose to 218 on Thursday.

About 3,500 people are still confined to the vessel. The health ministry has been asking passengers to stay in their cabins until next Wednesday, the end of a two-week quarantine period imposed following the first confirmed case on the ship.

As there are concerns that the health of some passengers is getting worse, the ministry on Thursday decided to allow the partial disembarkation.

Ministry officials say people aged 80 or older who have chronic health problems, and who have been staying in cabins without windows, will be given priority.

The officials say that those meeting the criteria who wish to disembark will be allowed to do so from Friday, if they have tested negative for the virus. After leaving the ship, they will be transferred to government-designated facilities.

Key words : nearly 200
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20200213_20/

Nearly 200 people who returned to Japan on the first chartered flight from China have been cleared to return home after spending two weeks in quarantine to stop the spread of the coronavirus.

The 197 people are among those who were evacuated to Japan on January 29 from the city of Wuhan on the first of the government's chartered flights. 176 people were housed in a resort hotel in Katsuura City, Chiba Prefecture, near Tokyo. Twenty-one others stayed in national facilities in Saitama Prefecture.

Officials say they all tested negative on Wednesday and have surpassed the quarantine period designated by the World Health Organization. Thirty-six people left the hotel on Wednesday night.

140 people who remained overnight also departed to their homes from the hotel on Thursday morning either on buses arranged by the government or by other means.

Local residents saw off their departures, saying they hope the evacuees will visit Katsuura again for sightseeing next time.

Health authorities say employees of the hotel and officials of the central and the prefectural governments who treated the returnees all tested negative.

Hotel officials say they hope to reopen the hotel on March 1 after disinfection procedures.

Key words : emergency measures devised
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20200213_07/

The Japanese government has devised the first set of emergency measures to deal with the new coronavirus outbreak.

The government aims to have a system at the National Institute of Infectious Diseases in Tokyo that can significantly increase the number of samples tested at one time. It will also promote speedy tests at 83 public health institutes across Japan.

The government will accelerate efforts at the National Center for Global Health and Medicine and other institutes to develop treatments for patients in serious condition. It also plans to call on every prefecture to set up outpatient facilities for people suspected of being infected, and provide necessary financial support.

Also included in the measures are plans to develop simple diagnostic test kits, antiviral drugs and vaccines, in cooperation with private companies, to establish preventive measures, diagnosis and treatment methods.

The government plans to address the economic impact of the outbreak, as tourism and some other industries have been hit by a decline in the number of travelers from China. It plans financial measures worth about 4.5 billion dollars to support small and medium-sized firms.

The government will assist firms that plan to urgently invest in production facilities to offset stalled supplies of industrial products from China. It also plans to pay expenses for diagnostic tests conducted for people who returned from the Chinese city of Wuhan to Japan by chartered planes, as well as passengers and crewmembers of a cruise ship quarantined at Yokohama Port.

Reserve funds for the current fiscal year will be used to cover these expenditures.

The government is set to approve the measures at a meeting of a task force dealing with the virus outbreak on Thursday afternoon.

Key words : Japanese government urging
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20200213_33/

The Japanese government is urging tourists who think they might have the new coronavirus to see a doctor as soon as possible.

It says visitors who aren't sure where to go for medical help can find out via a free, 24-hour hotline. Callers can get the details of the closest clinics and hospitals in English, Chinese and Korean.

The government plans to put brochures about the hotline at tourist sites, convenience stores and drugstores. It's part of a campaign to disseminate more accurate information about how to avoid getting infected.

The number for people in Japan is 050-3816-2787. People overseas can call +81-50-3816-2787.

Key words : health authorities 242
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20200213_30/

Health authorities in China's Hubei Province have reported 242 newly confirmed deaths from the new coronavirus. The big jump in the number of deaths brings the total figure for China to 1,355.

The authorities in Hubei, the epicenter of the outbreak, said on Thursday that they are now including cases detected through clinical diagnosis. The province had been confirming infections through virus checks, but it now counts people with pneumonia-like symptoms detected through diagnostic imaging, such as X-rays.

They said that 135 of the 242 deaths reported on Wednesday were confirmed by clinical diagnosis.

They also said that 14,840 new cases were confirmed on Wednesday, and 13,332 of these were detected through clinical diagnosis. This brings the total number of patients in Hubei Province to 48,206.

Some people in Hubei have complained on social media that hospitals are refusing to treat people with symptoms of fever and coughing if a coronavirus infection has not been confirmed.

Key words : organizing
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20200213_27/

The head of the Tokyo Olympic organizing committee has stressed officials are not considering canceling or delaying the Games over the coronavirus outbreak.

Yoshiro Mori was speaking at a meeting with the International Olympic Committee in Tokyo on Thursday.

At the start of the two-day meeting to check on preparations for the Games, IOC Coordination Commission Chair John Coates said the coronavirus outbreak is an unexpected issue they have to deal with.

He said he wants to ensure that all the athletes and the people who come to Japan for the Games are not going to be infected, and that all necessary precautions are being taken.

Coates added that he is looking forward to hearing from the Japanese government, the Tokyo metropolitan government and the organizing committee about the work they are doing on the matter.

Mori said there have been irresponsible rumors on social media indicating that the Tokyo Games would be canceled because of the outbreak. But he emphasized that the organizing committee is not considering a cancelation or a postponement. Mori also said the committee has set up a taskforce to work on measures, such as sharing information on preventing infections.

The organizing committee and the IOC are also expected to discuss preparations for the marathon and race walk events that were moved from Tokyo to Sapporo in northern Japan.

Key words : world health urged continued
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20200213_10/

The head of the World Health Organization has urged continued extreme caution against the new coronavirus, despite a drop in new cases of infection in China.

Chinese health authorities on Wednesday suggested the situation is improving, citing daily declines in the number of new infections.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters in Geneva on Wednesday the apparent slowdown should be viewed with extreme caution, and that the outbreak could still go in any direction.

The head of the WHO Health Emergencies programme said the stabilization of cases in China was reassuring, as was the apparently less aggressive and less accelerated behavior of the virus outside of Hubei Province.

Tedros also called on governments to provide appropriate support to cruise ships and travelers, pointing out that some vessels thought to be carrying infected passengers are being denied port entry without proper risk assessment.

Key words : telecom fair
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20200213_18/

The new coronavirus outbreak has forced the organizers of one of the world's largest telecom fairs to cancel this year's event.

The Mobile World Congress was supposed to open on February 24th in Barcelona.

The organizers say global concerns regarding the outbreak made it impossible for the event to go ahead.

The announcement comes after the withdrawal of Sony, NTT Docomo, Ericsson and other major exhibitors. The companies cited need to protect the health of their employees and visitors.

The telecoms-industry event usually draws more than 100,000 visitors to the Spanish city.

The organizers had been planning to take special measures for this year, such as disinfecting the venue and asking visitors and exhibitors not to shake hands.

Key words : Trump decision
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20200213_37/

US President Donald Trump has downplayed Manila's decision to end a pact that allows US forces to conduct joint drills with the Philippine military in the country.

On Wednesday, Trump was asked by a reporter about the announcement made on Tuesday by the Philippine presidential office that it had notified Washington that it will terminate the Visiting Forces Agreement.

Trump answered, "I don't really mind if they would like to do that, it will save a lot of money. Thank you."

US Defense Secretary Mark Esper on Tuesday called the decision "unfortunate."

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte had threatened to terminate the pact unless Washington reversed its decision to revoke a US visa held by a close aide to Duterte. The close aide is a former police chief who led Duterte's war on drugs. Duterte had also reacted against Washington's criticism of Manila for human rights abuses in the drug war.

Ending the VFA pact could complicate the US strategy in the Asia and Pacific region. The United States has been working to boost its security alliance with the Philippines as part of efforts to keep in check China's growing assertiveness in the South China Sea.

The pact will automatically become null and void 180 days after the notification.

Key words : European Union partially
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20200213_14/

The European Union says it has decided to partially withdraw tariff preferences for Cambodia, citing its ''serious and systematic'' human rights violations.

The European Commission said on Wednesday that the measure will affect about one-fifth, or about 1.1 billion dollars' worth, of Cambodia's annual exports to the EU, including garments and travel goods.

Under the current trade scheme, all exports from Cambodia to the EU are duty-free, except for arms.

The EU had been considering trade sanctions because of the crackdown on Cambodia's opposition parties by Prime Minister Hun Sen's administration.

The sanctions will take effect in August unless the European Parliament or EU member states object.

EU Trade Commissioner Phil Hogan said the aim is to get the Cambodian authorities to end human rights violations.

The Cambodian government said it regrets the EU's decision, which it said was ''triggered by many misperceptions and misunderstandings'' about the situation in Cambodia.

In 2018, 45 percent of Cambodia's exports went to the EU. The sanctions could be a particular blow to Cambodia's garment industry, which accounts for a significant proportion of the exports.

Key words : Rakuten free shipping
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20200213_34/

The head of Rakuten says the Japanese e-commerce giant is pressing ahead with a plan to offer free shipping on some orders.

CEO Hiroshi Mikitani says the firm won't be swayed by opposition from merchants or an investigation by anti-trust regulators.

Under the Rakuten plan, starting in mid-March, customers who make purchases of about 36 dollars or more will get free delivery.

But officials with the Fair Trade Commission say the company could be violating the anti-monopoly law. They suspect Rakuten is abusing its dominant market position to force sellers to go along with the plan.

Mikitani rejects the claim. He said: "We don't think the system constitutes an abuse of our superior position because we're allowing merchants to adjust their prices to compensate for the delivery cost."

Mikitani said the plan is the only way to ensure sellers on Rakuten can cope with increasingly stiff competition.

His remarks came as the company reported a net loss of 31.8 billion yen, or 290 million dollars, for the last calendar year. It's Rakuten's first net loss in eight years.

The poor result is mainly due to a write-down of the firm's stake in US ride-hailing company Lyft.