Japan's Prime Minister Abe Shinzo is making final arrangements to declare a state of emergency over the coronavirus pandemic as early as Tuesday.
Japanese companies are delaying the release of their earnings reports for the business year ending in March.
New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo has suggested the state may now be hitting the apex of the outbreak there.
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/upld/medias/en/radio/news/20200406200000_english_1.mp3
Key words : Abe final arrangement medical system
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20200406_20/
Japan's Prime Minister Abe Shinzo is making final arrangements to declare a state of emergency over the coronavirus outbreak as early as Tuesday.
The issuance of the order has been made possible under a revised law that was enacted last month.
Under the law, the prime minister has to consult a government advisory panel of health experts. The government has told these experts that a meeting will be held between Tuesday and Thursday.
Coronavirus infections are surging in Tokyo and other major cities, putting strain on the medical system. The infection routes cannot be traced in an increasing number of cases.
On Monday afternoon, Abe is expected to discuss the issue with the minister in charge of the law, Nishimura Yasutoshi, and the panel chief, Omi Shigeru.
The prime minister will be able to declare a state of emergency after the panel meeting if two conditions are met. The first is that the outbreak must pose a grave threat to people's lives and health. The second is when the rapid nationwide spread of the virus is likely to have a huge negative impact on people's daily livelihoods and the nation's economy.
The declaration should specify the areas and the time frame for the emergency measures.
Prefectural governors in the designated areas will then ask residents to stay at home, except for essential reasons.
The governors can also order school closures and limit access to large facilities such as department stores and movie theaters.
Local governments would be able to set up temporary hospitals without the consent of the owners of the land or buildings.
Officials would be able to order transport companies to deliver medicines or medical equipment in urgent cases. They would also be able to expropriate medicines.
Key words : judge the timing
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20200406_09/
The Japanese government says it will judge the timing of declaring a state of emergency by considering its impact on society and the economy.
Tokyo said on Sunday that 143 more cases were confirmed, a new daily record for the capital.
The minister in charge of coronavirus measures Nishimura Yasutoshi said that the situation is becoming critical. He added that the government will not hesitate to declare a state of emergency when the time comes.
Authorities will also step up policies to prioritize serious coronavirus patients in areas where the medical system is in danger. In Tokyo, patients with mild symptoms will be moved from hospitals to hotels starting Tuesday.
They will support boosting production of face masks and provide cloth masks to households across the country to deal with a continued shortage of face masks.
The government also plans to decide on an emergency economic package on Tuesday. It includes providing about 2,800 dollars to households whose income has fallen to a certain level due to the COVID-19 epidemic.
Key words : companies delaying
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20200406_01/
Japanese companies are delaying the release of their earnings reports for the business year ending in March due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Electronic parts maker TDK has postponed the release of its report from April 28 to May 15. It cites delays in accounting work at its subsidiaries in China, the United States and other countries.
Construction machinery maker Komatsu postponed its announcement from April 30 to May 18. It said it does not have enough information because employees at its overseas offices are unable to report to work.
Sony said it could delay its release from the initially scheduled April 30.
Many companies are revising their earnings downward or reporting huge losses, citing the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, as well as falling stock and crude oil prices.
Some companies say it will be difficult to compile earnings forecasts for the year ending in March 2021 as there is no prospect for an early end to the pandemic.
Key words : world health contracted
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20200406_11/
The World Health Organization says 1,133,758 people had contracted the new coronavirus as of Sunday.
That's an increase of 82,061 cases from Saturday, and the first time the number of patients increased by more than 80,000 in a single day.
The WHO also says the death toll increased by 5,798, pushing the total to 62,784.
Key words : state governor
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20200406_08/
New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo has suggested the state may now be hitting the apex of the coronavirus outbreak.
Cuomo said at a news conference on Sunday that the numbers of both new hospitalizations and ICU admissions are lower than previous numbers, while more people are being discharged from hospitals.
He said, "We could either be very near the apex, or the apex could be a plateau and we could be on the plateau right now." He added that it will take three to four days to see a pattern.
The governor also said the state authorities will continue their effort to secure ventilators.
He said that he is working on a plan to balance the patient load between hospitals, which involves shifting patients from over-loaded hospitals to those having more capacity.
Cuomo also suggested that the state will be flexible in moving medical staff and equipment between hospitals.
According to Johns Hopkins University, the United States had 324,052 confirmed coronavirus cases nationwide as of Sunday. The death toll stood at 9,267.
The hardest-hit US state of New York reported over 8,000 new cases on Sunday, which brought the total in the state to 122,031. The death toll rose by about 600 to 4,159.
Recently, other US states have seen spikes in the number of infected people.
Michigan has reported more than 14,000 cases, while both Louisiana and Florida have confirmed over 12,000 cases.
Ventilators as well as protective masks and gowns are in short supply across the country.
Key words : British Johnson
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20200406_07/
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was admitted to hospital for tests on Sunday, about 10 days after he tested positive for the new coronavirus.
A spokesperson at the prime minister's office said the move was a "precautionary step" as the prime minister continues to have persistent symptoms of the coronavirus.
Johnson said in a video message posted on Twitter on March 27 that he had tested positive for the virus. He had since led the country's operations to control the coronavirus outbreak, while in isolation at home.
But there were concerns that Johnson looked exhausted when he called on people to stay at home in a Twitter video message on Friday.
Key words : oil producing
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20200406_15/
Oil producing countries are expected to hold an emergency meeting on Thursday about cutting crude production.
Demand for crude has been falling as the pandemic brings economies around the world to a halt.
OPEC leader Saudi Arabia and non-member Russia failed to agree last month on curbing production.
It's unclear whether the countries will be able to come to an agreement. Russia and Saudi Arabia are still pointing fingers about which side was to blame for the breakdown of last month's talks.
A new meeting had been planned for Monday, but the Iraqi oil minister now says it's been pushed to Thursday.
The participants are eyeing a massive output cut of about 10 million barrels a day. That's roughly 10 percent of the global supply of crude oil.
Key words : Australian
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20200406_16/
Australian police have launched a criminal probe into why passengers were allowed to leave a cruise ship before their coronavirus test results were available.
Police said on Sunday that they had begun investigating the handling of passengers from the Ruby Princess cruise ship last month.
People who complained of feeling unwell were tested for the coronavirus when the ship docked in Sydney on March 19.
But all of the roughly 2,700 passengers were allowed to disembark before the test results were available. It was assumed that their risk of infection was low because the ship had returned from New Zealand, where there were few confirmed cases.
Local media say more than 600 passengers and crew were found to be infected, and at least 10 people have died.
Police say they will question the passengers, crew and officials.
The cruise ship company also operates the Diamond Princess, which was quarantined at the Japanese port of Yokohama because of a mass outbreak of the coronavirus.
Key words : affected the chinese
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20200406_14/
The coronavirus outbreak has affected the Chinese tradition of visiting ancestral graves during the spring Qingming festival. Many people are asking cemetery staff to visit their family graves on their behalf.
The three-day Qingming holiday started on Saturday. But authorities in many regions are restricting the number of visitors to graveyards this year as part of steps to stem the spread of the virus.
They are calling on people to use services offered by cemetery operators and other entities in which the staff visit the graves on their behalf.
One cemetery in Shanghai is accepting online requests for such visits. It is offering the service for free.
The operator's employees visit each of the graves to clean them and offer flowers and messages from the families.
The families are sent photos of the graves afterwards.
Cemetery officials say the number of visitors during or around the Qingming holiday is down by about 70 percent from last year. But they have received more than 300 service requests each day.
A 38-year-old Shanghai resident who used the service says she thinks her ancestors are understanding of her reasons for being unable to visit. She says she hopes to offer prayers at her family grave in person after the outbreak comes to an end.
A cemetery official says she hopes to fulfill her responsibility to convey family members' thoughts to their loved ones who have passed away.
Key words : people across India
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20200406_05/
People across India turned off their lights and lit candles or turned on smartphone lights on Sunday evening in a show of solidarity amid a nationwide coronavirus lockdown.
The "show of lights" was in response to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call in a speech on Friday to "challenge the darkness" of the coronavirus outbreak.
The lockdown imposed on March 25 bans people from going out except for essential trips such as grocery shopping.
In the capital, New Delhi, residents of a condominium switched off lights and went out onto their balconies, with lit candles, or smartphones with its light turned on.
Modi lit a lamp at his official residence. In a Twitter post, he called on people to pay respect to the light of a lamp, which he said brings health and prosperity and removes evil spirits.
Observers say the event also appears to have been aimed at dispelling people's discontent and stress about being on lockdown.
Key words : Fukushima
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20200406_03/
Tokyo Electric Power Company has made public a simulation showing the flow of radioactive wastewater released into the ocean from the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant. TEPCO says winds and tides will spread the wastewater in an elongated shape along the coastline.
The Japanese government has been looking into ways to dispose of the roughly 1.2 million tons of wastewater accumulated at the plant, which contains approximately 860 trillion becquerels of tritium.
TEPCO's simulation estimated the area of ocean that would contain more than 1 becquerel of radioactive materials per liter.
The simulation shows that when water containing 100 trillion becquerels of radioactive materials is released each year, the area would be 2 kilometers offshore from the plant and stretch 30 kilometers from north to south.
When wastewater with 22 trillion becquerels of radioactive materials is released per year, it would spread 700 meters from shore and stretch 3 kilometers from north to south.
A government panel said in a report released in February that releasing diluted radioactive water into the sea or air are realistic options. The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency expressed some understanding for the plan. But the proposal drew opposition from local fishermen and others.
TEPCO has yet to show its simulation of wastewater released into the air.
0 件のコメント:
コメントを投稿