(Spring Grand Sumo Tournament, held in the absence of spectators for the first time ever)
As of midnight, Monday, March 9 (Japan time)
- Ceremonies for the lighting and handover of the Olympic flame ahead of the Summer Games will start this week in Greece as scheduled, but without spectators amid the spread of the new coronavirus, Tokyo Olympics CEO Toshiro Muto said Monday.
- The battle to contain the new coronavirus could take months or even last beyond year-end, a Japanese government panel of experts on communicable diseases warned Monday.
- Trading on Wall Street was suspended briefly on Monday after shares opened sharply lower amid increasing concerns over the impact of the coronavirus outbreak on the global economy.
- Japan implemented tougher border control measures on Monday for travelers from China and South Korea, effectively banning tourists from the two countries through the end of this month as part of measures to prevent a surge in coronavirus infections.
- Japan's professional baseball establishment said Monday it will delay the start of the season for both the Central and Pacific leagues, originally scheduled for March 20, due to the coronavirus crisis. The J-League, meanwhile, said it will extend its suspension of soccer matches until at least April 3.
- Market participants have started to prod the Japanese central bank to take action, as the country's economy, the third largest in the world, is certain to suffer serious setbacks in the wake of an outbreak of the new coronavirus.
- Tokyo financial markets were rattled Monday by escalating coronavirus fears and plunging oil prices, with the Nikkei ending at a 14-month low and the dollar briefly diving to the mid-101 yen level, its lowest since November 2016.
- Japan's health ministry said Monday it has urged local governments to prepare their hospitals for an influx of people infected with the new coronavirus by providing equations for calculating numbers at their peak.
- South Korea began rationing face masks on Monday to cope with a severe shortage among the public as the nation scrambles to contain the spread of the coronavirus that has infected nearly 7,400 people
- About 60 diplomats and other foreigners left North Korea for Russia on Monday on a special flight arranged by the country's state-run carrier amid coronavirus fears.
- Shanghai Disney Resort will partially resume operations on Monday, the theme-park operator said, as China reported under 100 new coronavirus infection cases for the third straight day.
- A local assemblyman in central Japan apologized Monday for price gouging during the coronavirus crisis after it was revealed he made 8.9 million yen ($87,000) by selling face masks via online auctions.
- Crew aboard the coronavirus-hit Diamond Princess cruise ship had continued contact with infected passengers even following the government request on Feb. 5 that passengers self-quarantine in their rooms, a Japanese crew member told Kyodo News in a recent phone interview.
As of 11 p.m., Sunday, March 8 (Japan time)
- A legal change this week will allow Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to declare a state of emergency to address the new coronavirus outbreak if he deems it necessary.
- The Japan Rugby Football Union is considering not resuming play this weekend on account of the continuing threat of the new coronavirus outbreak, a source with the union said Sunday.
- China's health authorities on Sunday reported 44 additional cases of novel coronavirus infection, bringing the country's overall caseload to 80,695.
- South Korea's health authorities on Sunday said 367 more cases of coronavirus have been confirmed, bringing the country's total number of confirmed cases to 7,134.
- With food delivery services booming in the wake of an outbreak of the new coronavirus, drivers, who have contact with various people on a daily basis, have been forced to make a tough choice on whether to wear protective face masks.
- Sony Corp., Honda Motor Co. and other major companies in Japan are cancelling or postponing their spring initiation ceremonies for new recruits in response to the government's call to avoid mass gatherings to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus.
List of major facilities, events affected by coronavirus in Japan
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 - Tokyo Metropolitan Government's hotline
- Available in English, Chinese, Korean and Japanese, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
0570-550571
- Available via fax for those with hearing impairments
03-5388-1396 - 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