Key words : Abe calling for cooperation
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20200408_48/
Tokyo officials are reporting 144 new coronavirus cases in the Japanese capital. That's the largest daily increase so far.
More than 1,300 people have now tested positive across the city, which is home to around 14 million people.
The new figure comes a day after the prime minister declared a state of emergency for Tokyo and six other prefectures.
Abe Shinzo is calling for the public's cooperation to help keep the virus from spreading.
Abe said, "I strongly believe that it will be possible to get out of this situation by having the state of emergency in place one month... if we reduce our contact with people by at least 70 percent, or preferably 80 percent."
The declaration covers Tokyo, Kanagawa, Saitama, Chiba, Osaka, Hyogo and Fukuoka. It will be in place until May 6th.
The governors of those prefectures held a teleconference Wednesday morning to discuss how to counter the virus.
They are calling on the central government to support local medical systems, and compensate businesses that close temporarily.
The government is not imposing a lockdown, as some foreign governments have.
Officials want to minimize the impact on economic and social activities.
Public transportation and supermarkets will remain open.
A number of companies have said they will shut down voluntarily, including major department stores and coffee shops like Starbucks and Doutor.
People who came to work in the central business districts had mixed reactions.
A woman said, "Now I understand that the situation is really serious. With staggered working hours, I have been able to spend a bit more time at home."
Another woman said, "I don't know whether the situation will get better in a month or two. I'm worried because this has never happened before and nobody can tell the future."
It was business as usual for staff at transport and delivery companies in Tokyo, supplying products to supermarkets and drug stores.
The only change was the amount of packages.
A male truck driver said, I've never been this busy. I've been delivering twice the amount of goods almost every day."
Transport companies are asking people not to hoard goods as it could disrupt supply chains.
Concerns about the health of elderly residents is also growing. Chiba Prefecture plans to continue operating day services for the elderly. But at this drop-in center, some are already staying away.
Staff fear these people could develop dementia and lose muscle strength if they can't visit the facility.
A facility manager said, "We need to discuss and consider how to support each elderly person as much as possible."
They are also worried many employees with small children will be unable to work because schools are closed.
Across Japan... the pace of infections is increasing. More than 4,700 people have now tested positive.That figure excludes 712 cases from the Diamond Princess cruise ship, which was quarantined near Tokyo.
109 people have died, including 11 from the ship.
Key words : US media
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20200408_15/
US media are skeptical about the effectiveness of the state of emergency that Japanese Prime Minister Abe Shinzo declared on Tuesday. They questioned whether the timing was right and pointed out that there are no penalties for noncompliance.
CNN said, "Despite this long exposure to the virus, the country has been slow to take the kind of radical steps seen in many other parts of the world."
The US broadcaster quoted an expert as saying, "We might see the next New York City in Tokyo."
CBS News noted that most of the measures being taken by the Japanese government are "requests" for restraint. It said that "civil liberties protections in Japan don't allow authorities to issue jail terms or fines for non-compliance."
It added that "a heavy dose of peer pressure and the weight of the emergency declaration are being deployed instead as a cudgel."
The New York Times said, "For months, Japan has confounded the world by reporting a relatively low rate of coronavirus infections without imposing the kind of stringent measures used by other nations."
It noted that medical experts are wondering whether the declaration on Tuesday "has come just in time to avoid calamity," or whether it's "too little, too late."
French public radio broadcaster Radio France said that, like Sweden, Japan has adopted measures that don't hinder economic activities much. It said Japan has also relied on extremely strict hygiene practices.
But it said the spread of the coronavirus has become uncontrollable, especially in Tokyo. It also said that Abe was forced to declare a state of emergency by the media and experts.
The British newspaper The Guardian said Japan's government does not have the legal authority to enforce a France-style lockdown, with fines and other penalties.
It said Japanese officials are instead hoping that self-restraint and "threats to name and shame businesses that refuse to close will ensure compliance."
The paper added, "Japan's reluctance to introduce a more draconian lockdown stems in part from bitter memories of civil rights abuses during the days of militarism and the forced isolation of leprosy patients."
Key words : chinese authorities
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20200408_33/
People in the Chinese city of Wuhan flooded into train stations and airports Wednesday, as Chinese authorities lifted a months-long lockdown. The city was the first to report cases of the coronavirus, before it spread to countries around the world.
Wuhan's midnight reopening was celebrated with an elaborate lightshow.
At railway stations and airports, officials took the temperatures of passengers and cautioned them to keep their distance from one another.
Chinese officials estimate about 66,000 people will take the train or fly out of the capital of Hubei Province before the day is over.
More than 10,000 companies have also re-opened. But residents are still being urged to refrain from going out, except to go to work.
Officials say, as of Tuesday, over 50,000 people in Wuhan have been infected. 2,572 have died.
Now, authorities say transmission of the virus within Wuhan has been contained.
But the Chinese numbers have prompted skepticism with some saying officials have not been consistent with their count - both for those who show no symptoms and for people who die before their infections are confirmed.
Key words : city of Paris contain
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20200408_09/
The city of Paris is banning jogging and other forms of outdoor exercise during daytime in a tightening of restrictions on movement to contain the coronavirus pandemic.
The ban is being rolled out on Wednesday and will be in place between 10 a.m. and 7 p.m.
Officials say hospitals are still on the verge of being overwhelmed and that efforts taken so far to curb the infection will go to waste if the restrictions are eased.
The virus infected more than 78,000 people and killed 10,328 in France by Tuesday.
A nationwide lockdown has been in place in France since March 17. People are still allowed to go out to buy daily necessities and receive medical treatment.
They can also exercise outdoors for up to an hour within a one-kilometer radius from their homes.
The daylight exercise ban came after last weekend, when many people went out to enjoy sunny and warm weather.
Interior Minister Christophe Castaner has been urging local authorities to step up measures to minimize people's outings.
Key words : world health organization globally death toll
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20200408_27/
The World Health Organization says 1,279,722 people have contracted the coronavirus globally as of Tuesday.
That's 68,766 more cases than there were on Monday.
The WHO says the death toll has increased by 5,020 to 72,614.
Key words : Honda
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20200408_21/
Japanese carmakers Honda and Nissan have announced massive furloughs and layoffs as the pandemic sinks demand for autos.
Honda says it will furlough about 18,000 workers at plants in the US. The carmaker has been drawing down operations at its eight factories in the country since late March. The company says they will remain offline until May 1st.
Honda will cover worker salaries until the middle of April. The automaker says after that, employees should seek government subsidies.
Nissan has also announced it will temporarily lay off about 3,000 workers, including those at its plant in Barcelona, Spain.
The pandemic has been forcing automakers to suspend operations worldwide, creating fears about the impact on employment.
Key words : Islamic
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Key words : weather cyclone
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