As of 10:30 p.m., Monday, March 2 (Japan time)
- South Korea reported 599 new cases of the coronavirus on Monday, bringing the total number to 4,335, with most of them continuing to occur in the southeastern city of Daegu, the epicenter of the nation's outbreak.
- Some Chinese internet users expressed disbelief and criticism against the Tokyo Marathon on Sunday, calling the decision to hold the event despite an ongoing coronavirus outbreak a "death wish."
- Nearly all prefectures in Japan began shutting their schools Monday in a bid to prevent the further spread of the coronavirus, four days after Prime Minister Shinzo Abe surprised many with a request for a total school closure until early April.
- An operator of a restaurant cruise ship in Kobe said it has filed for bankruptcy after being hit by a series of cancellations, becoming the first cruise ship operator in Japan to go under due to the coronavirus outbreak.
- Bank of Japan Governor Haruhiko Kuroda pledged Monday the central bank will make every effort to ensure stability in financial markets that have been roiled as the new coronavirus spreads worldwide.
- Foreign tourists and residents in Japan are more likely to find multilingual help regarding the novel coronavirus at the tourism agency and local governments than the health ministry, the central government body tasked with stemming the spread of the disease.
- China's total coronavirus infection cases have surpassed 80,000 on the mainland, health authorities said Monday, with the death toll rising to over 2,900.
- Indonesia has confirmed its first cases of coronavirus, Indonesian President Joko Widodo with saying two Indonesians, a mother and her daughter, have tested positive.
List of major facilities, events affected by coronavirus in Japan
As of 10 p.m., Sunday, March 1 (Japan time)
- Iran's health authorities on Sunday said the country's death toll from the new coronavirus has risen by 11 from the previous day to 54, with the nationwide tally of confirmed infections at 978.
- The number of deaths in mainland China from coronavirus infections has risen by 35 to 2,870, with the tally of confirmed cases reaching 79,824, the country's health authorities said Sunday
- South Korean health authorities on Sunday reported 586 additional cases of the new coronavirus, taking the national tally to 3,736.
- Japan and China are considering postponing Chinese President Xi Jinping's state visit this spring, Japanese government sources said Sunday, amid the spread of the new coronavirus
- The lively atmosphere Alcides Escobar expected for his Tokyo Dome return was silenced by Japan's efforts to counter the spread of the new coronavirus.
Useful resources for foreign residents and visitors in Japan:
- Japan National Tourism Organization's "Guide for when you are feeling ill"
- Multilingual clinic/hospital search available in English, Korean, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Japanese
https://www.jnto.go.jp/emergency/eng/mi_guide.html - JNTO's "Japan Visitor Hotline"
- Available in English, Chinese, Korean and Japanese 24 hours a day
050-3816-2787
+81-50-3816-2787 (from overseas)
http://www.mlit.go.jp/kankocho/content/001328767.pdf - Japan's health ministry hotline
- Available in Japanese only, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
0120-565653 - World Health Organization's "Q&A on coronaviruses"
https://www.who.int/news-room/q-a-detail/q-a-coronaviruses
