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Tokyo has confirmed 68 new coronavirus cases, a record daily increase, public broadcaster NHK reported on Sunday, as the Japanese capital scrambles to prevent a jump in infections. Japan has so far been spared a major spreading of the coronavirus that has hit Europe and North America, but authorities fear a rise in cases with no known source of infection could signal a bigger new wave. The outbreak has infected more than 1,800 people in Japan, with 55 deaths as of Sunday afternoon, excluding 712 cases and 10 deaths from a cruise ship moored near Tokyo last month, NHK said. Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike has asked the tens of millions of people in the city and surrounding regions to avoid non-essential, non-urgent outings until April 12, as the city has become the centre of Japan's coronavirus epidemic. Of the 68 new cases in Tokyo, more than 20 are linked to a hospital in the eastern Tokyo ward of Taito, where many patients and staff have already tested positive, NHK said. Tokyo authorities had no immediate comment on the NHK report. 

Japan, so far spared the mass spread of coronavirus that has hit Europe and North America, took urgent new steps yesterday to respond to what Prime Minister Shinzo Abe described as a “national crisis” following a surge of cases in Tokyo. With 47 new cases reported in the capital, Abe banned entry from 21 European countries and Iran, and set up a new crisis task force  a preliminary step towards declaring a state of emergency, although his government said none was planned. “In order to overcome what can be described as a national crisis, it is necessary for the state, local governments, medical community, and the people to act as one and press ahead with measures against coronavirus infections,” Abe said at a task force meeting. He said he had launched the task force under a recently revised law, after receiving a report of a high chance the chance the virus would spread widely. The daily total of new cases in Tokyo has nearly tripled over the past four days. After meeting Abe yesterday evening, governor Yuriko Koike told reporters that she had requested strong support and that Tokyo would work with the central government on a possible declaration of emergency. Japan was an early focus of the coronavirus outbreak, and for a time last month a cruise ship docked offshore near Tokyo was the biggest source of infections outside China. But since then Japan has averted the widespread transmission that has seen Europe and North America hit by thousands of new cases per day. Japanese authorities fear a rise in cases with no known source of infection could signal a bigger new wave. “I told Prime Minister Abe there is a high risk of coronavirus spreading widely,” Health Minister Katsunobu Kato told reporters after meeting Abe and Economy Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura. As of yesterday evening, Japan had 1,369 domestic cases of coronavirus, as well as 712 from the cruise ship, according to tallies from broadcaster NHK. There have been 46 domestic deaths and 10 from the cruise ship. Under a law revised this month to cover the coronavirus, the prime minister can declare a state of emergency if the disease poses a “grave danger” to lives and if its rapid spread threatens serious economic damage. That would give local authorities legal basis to ask residents and businesses to restrict movement and work. Nishimura, the economy minister, said no such declaration is planned for now. Japan was already teetering on the brink of recession before the virus struck. Yesterday, the government offered its bleakest assessment on the economy in nearly seven years, saying conditions in March were “severe”. Japanese shares tumbled following three days of big gains, after the rise in domestic coronavirus cases stoked worries of tougher restrictions for social distancing. Hitachi Ltd instructed 50,000 employees at its group companies in Tokyo to work from home and avoid unnecessary outings.  A landmark department store in Tokyo’s Shibuya district – popular with young people, many of whom have continued to go out to play and shop – said it would close on the weekend. Toho Cinemas also said it would close its movie theatres in Tokyo and nearby Kanagawa prefecture on Saturday and Sunday. On Wednesday, Koike warned of the risk of an explosive rise in infections in the capital and asked residents to avoid non-essential outings through April 12, especially over the weekend. She repeated her call yesterday. Koike has requested the neighbouring prefectures of Saitama, Chiba and Kanagawa ask their residents to refrain from non-urgent, non-essential travel to Tokyo, the Nikkei business daily reported. The governor of Kanagawa later asked residents to stay at home this weekend.  “The government and local authorities will co-operate based on the awareness that this is a very critical time to prevent the spread of the virus,” Chief Cabinet Secretary Yosihide Suga told a news conference.  Suga later said the risk of the infection spreading was high, but there was no need to change a plan to reopen schools in early April. Many closed earlier this month at Abe’s request. The International Olympic Committee and the government on Tuesday agreed to put back the Tokyo 2020 Olympics by a year. If an emergency is declared, local governments will be able to halt gatherings and restrict movement, although there will be few powers to enforce such decrees. “For better or worse, no police at our doors,” said Kenji Shibuya, director of the Institute of Population Health at King’s College, London. On a sunny three-day break last weekend, crowds of people were out in Tokyo despite bans in some areas on picnics for the traditional spring “hanami” cherry-blossom viewing. Yesterday, tabloids blared “Tokyo Lockdown Panic” and “Tokyo Destruction”. But a long line of people waited at a chocolate croissant cafe in Tokyo for lunch, while subways were packed and people lined up before drug stores opened to buy masks and sanitary products that are in short supply. Pictures on social media showed grocery store shelves picked clean by shoppers.

The 2020 Tokyo Olympics have been postponed to no later than the summer of 2021 because of the coronavirus pandemic sweeping the globe, the International Olympic Committee announced Tuesday. The Games were scheduled for July 24-August 9, but after telephone discussions between IOC president Thomas Bach and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, a historic joint decision was taken for the first postponement of an Olympics in peacetime. Abe said Bach was in "100 percent agreement" when Japan asked the IOC to push back the Games. In a joint statement, the pair said that based on current World Health Organization information, the Tokyo Games "must be rescheduled to a date beyond 2020 but not later than summer 2021, to safeguard the health of the athletes, everybody involved in the Olympic Games and the international community". "The leaders agreed that the Olympic Games in Tokyo could stand as a beacon of hope to the world during these troubled times and that the Olympic flame could become the light at the end of the tunnel in which the world finds itself at present. "Therefore, it was agreed that the Olympic flame will stay in Japan. It was also agreed that the Games will keep the name Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020," the statement concluded. The decision will be a devastating blow for the city of Tokyo, which had won widespread praise for its organisation, with venues finished well ahead of time and tickets massively oversubscribed. The Olympics, which has experienced boycotts, terrorist attacks and protests, but has been held every four years since 1948, would be the highest-profile event affected by the virus that has killed thousands and closed sports competitions worldwide. The IOC has come under increasing pressure in recent days to postpone the Games, scheduled to start on July 24, with 1.7 billion people across the planet in lockdown to prevent the further spread of COVID-19. Training has become impossible for many athletes and exposes them to the risk of contracting or spreading the disease. Competitions and qualifiers have been scrapped, while international travel is severely limited. On Sunday, the IOC had initially given itself a deadline of four weeks to come up with a proposal to postpone the Games, a Herculean task that touches on every aspect of Tokyo 2020 planning from venues to security to ticketing. But after Canada and Australia withdrew their teams and the powerful US Olympic Committee and World Athletics also joined the chorus calling for a postponement, the writing was on the wall. Tokyo was spending some $12.6 billion to host the Games, according to its latest budget, and experts believe a postponement could cost it some $6 billion in the short-term before recouping it when they eventually go ahead. It will also be a bitter blow to sponsors and major broadcasters who rely on the four-yearly extravaganza for critical advertising revenue. It is not the first time Tokyo has seen unscheduled changes to the Games -- it was due to be the first Asian country to host the Olympics in 1940 before pulling out due to international pressure over its war with China. The IOC came under fire for taking so long to make its decision after other major events such as the European Football Championships already announced postponements. But Tokyo 2020 organisers had pointed to the unparalleled complexity -- not to mention cost -- of shifting the Games. It is not even clear venues will be available and tens of thousands of hotel rooms will need to be cancelled and rebooked. "It is mind-bogglingly complex to make a sudden change after seven years of preparation for the biggest sporting event in the world," Michael Payne, the IOC's former head of marketing, told AFP. Squeezing in the 16-day Games into what will already be a hugely crowded 2021 calendar is another major headache, with arguably the two biggest sports, swimming and athletics, due to hold their world championships that summer. However, World Athletics has already said it was prepared to shift its world championships, scheduled for August 6-15 next year in Oregon, to accommodate a rescheduled Games.

* Decision on postponement within days, IOC insiders say * Global clamour grows for unprecedented delay to Games * Japan, IOC in talks to postpone by a year - newspaper * Athletes sad but relieved at probable postponement A decision on whether to postpone this year's Tokyo Olympics for the first time in the Games' modern history will come in days, sources said on Tuesday, as global clamour made a delay look inevitable because of the coronavirus crisis. The July 24-Aug. 9 Olympics have been the last major sporting event left standing in coming months as the epidemic put most of the world in virtual lockdown. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) and Japan's repeated insistence that the event would go ahead as scheduled - and then their weekend announcement of a lengthy, one-month consultation over possible postponement - perplexed many. With billions of dollars and political prestige riding on the event, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and IOC President Thomas Bach were to talk by phone at 1100 GMT on Tuesday. Japan's Sankei newspaper said the government was negotiating with the Olympic body to postpone the Games for up to a year, echoing comments by former IOC board member Dick Pound. Sources within the Olympic movement told Reuters a decision would come in days, possibly before the planned launch of a scaled-down torch relay on Thursday. ‘Heartbroken but not surprised,’ said twice Olympic champion swimmer Cate Campbell, whose nation Australia withdrew from the summer Games even before a formal postponement announcement. ‘To be honest, I'm left reeling and feeling a little lost. But the goal posts haven't disappeared - just shifted. It's time to recalibrate and fire up for the next challenge.’ The Olympics have never been delayed in their 124-year modern history, though they were cancelled altogether in 1916, 1940 and 1944 during the two world wars. Major Cold War boycotts disrupted the Moscow and Los Angeles Games in 1980 and 1984. Pressure on the IOC had been accelerating fast in recent days, with Canada, like Australia, saying it would not participate if the Games went ahead. Other nations have pressed hard for a postponement and a quick decision by the Olympic body to end uncertainty. ‘I AM RELIEVED’ Athletes, though sad, were mainly in agreement with a delay, given health risks and disruption to their training as gyms, stadia and swimming pools shut down around the world. ‘I have ridden not just a rollercoaster but the entire theme park of emotions,’ Keesja Gofers, part of the Australian women's water polo team, said on Instagram. ‘I am relieved. Athletes around the world will now have the chance at a proper preparation and the Olympics can, on whatever date they are held, continue to be a coming together of the world's best at their best.’ The coronavirus outbreak has raged around the world, infecting nearly 380,000 people, killing more than 16,500 and wrecking sports events from the soccer Euros to Formula One. ‘Even if the current significant health concerns could be alleviated by late summer, the enormous disruptions to the training environment, doping controls and qualification process can't be overcome in a satisfactory manner,’ the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee said. The United States is by far the most successful nation in the history of the modern summer Games, while the rights deal with American broadcaster NBC to televise the Olympics represents from 50% to 70% of the IOC's total annual revenues. ‘Today the Games are not the priority, the priority is health, and that is how the world of sports contributes to that international solidarity,’ Tony Estanguet, head of the Paris 2024 Olympics organising committee and an IOC member, told France Info radio, predicting a delay. Japan and the IOC have said calling off the Games entirely is not an option, but a delay would present major logistical difficulties given the crowded global sporting calendar and complex commercial considerations. World Athletics has said it would be willing to move the 2021 world championships, scheduled for Aug. 6-15 in Eugene, Oregon, to clear a path for a 2021 Olympics. Postponement would be a massive blow for hosts Japan, which has pumped in more than $12 billion of investment, while huge sums are also at stake for sponsors and broadcasters. But a poll showed about 70% of the Japanese think a delay is appropriate.

Tens of thousands of people turned out to see the Olympic Flame in the north-eastern Japanese city despite mounting concerns of the coronavirus pandemic, local media reported on Sunday. More than 55,000 people flocked to a cauldron with the flame that was in display at Sendai Station in Sendai on Saturday, a day after the flame arrived in the prefecture of Miyagi, local newspaper Kahoku Shimpo reported, though the government repeatedly urged the public to avoid large gatherings to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus. Tokyo organizers call it the ‘Flame of Recovery’ as the north-eastern region has spent nine years on reconstruction since it was devastated by the 2011 earthquake and resulting tsunami. The natural disasters also caused a triple meltdown at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station. The tsunami devastated the coastal region of the prefectures of Miyagi, Iwate and Fukushima, leaving about 18,400 dead or missing. A 52-year-old part-time worker told the paper, though she had lined up for the flame for two hours, ‘I even enjoyed waiting for this.’  When seeing the flame, ‘I was feeling as if I had been participating in a huge event like Olympic Games,’ she added. About nine years ago, more than 10,000 gathered around the same station during the power outage and spent the restless nights following the tsunami, the paper said. An 80-year-old housewife in the city of Sendai was quoted by Kahoku Shimpo as saying she could not return home soon after the tsunami nine years ago but that ‘I'm now so satisfied to see a warming Olympic Flame.’  Saturday's crowd in Sendai was in stark contrast to a scaled-down ceremony in the city of Higashi-Matsushima on the previous day, when the flame arrived from Greece. Tokyo Olympic organizers held the event without spectators and decided not to let about 200 school children participate. On Thursday, a toned-down torch relay will begin in Fukushima prefecture on March 26, the site of Japan's worst nuclear disaster.

* Govt working with IOC to hold Games as scheduled - top spokesman * Olympics make no sense if countries cannot send athletes - Aso * Most Japan firms trust Games will proceed as planned - poll  Japan is not making any preparations to postpone the 2020 Summer Olympics, the government's top spokesman said on Wednesday, stressing Tokyo's resolve to host the event as scheduled despite the global spread of coronavirus. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said the government would continue with preparations to hold the July 24-Aug. 9 Games as scheduled, working closely with organisations such as the International Olympic Committee (IOC). "We're not making any adjustments to postpone the Games," Suga told parliament when asked by a lawmaker whether the government was making plans to cancel or postpone the event. His comments come amid mounting concerns about whether the Games can proceed as planned, with the rapidly spreading virus panicking financial markets and bringing business and social activity around the world to a standstill. Many sports events have been cancelled or postponed. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Tuesday that Group of Seven leaders had agreed to support a "complete" Olympics, but dodged questions about whether any of the leaders had brought up the possibility of postponement. The IOC has remained committed to staging the Tokyo Games as planned, saying on Tuesday after a meeting with international sports federations that measures against the virus were delivering results. But it is facing growing voices of dissent from top athletes worried about their health. The new coronavirus has so far killed more than 7,500 people and infected about 200,000 worldwide. A plane sporting Tokyo 2020 livery left Japan to collect the Olympic flame from Athens without a high-level delegation onboard, reflecting the disruption the virus is causing to preparations for the Games. Most Japanese firms trust the Tokyo Games will go ahead as planned, a Reuters poll found, but two-thirds are already bracing for the domestic economy to contract by at least 1% if the epidemic triggers a cancellation. The Asahi Shimbun newspaper reported that Olympics tickets might not be refundable, leading to successful applicants taking to social media with fears they might be left out of pocket. Even if Japan can contain the coronavirus outbreak, the Summer Olympic Games "would not make sense" if other countries cannot send their athletes, Japanese Deputy Prime Minister Taro Aso said on Wednesday. "As the prime minister said, it's desirable to hold the Olympics in an environment where everyone feels safe and happy. But that's not something Japan alone can decide," Aso, who is also Japan's finance minister, told parliament.

Even if Japan can contain the coronavirus outbreak, the Summer Olympic Games "would not make sense" if other countries cannot send their athletes, Japanese Deputy Prime Minister Taro Aso said on Wednesday. Speaking in parliament, Aso, who is also Japan's finance minister, said: "As the prime minister said, it's desirable to hold the Olympics in an environment where everyone feels safe and happy. But that's not something Japan alone can decide."  Olympics-Plane leaves to collect Olympic flame  A plane sporting Tokyo 2020 livery departed Haneda International Airport on Wednesday bound for Athens to collect the Olympic flame, but there was no delegation from organisers onboard due to concerns about the coronavirus pandemic. Tokyo 2020 said it chose not to send the high-level delegation, which was originally set to include organising committee president Yoshiro Mori and Olympics minister Seiko Hashimoto, to Greece due to the coronavirus. Japan's ambassador to Greece will receive the flame at a handover ceremony, organisers said. Lower-level Tokyo 2020 officials who travelled to Greece last week will accompany the flame back to Japan. Some 20 airline and airport staff waved the plane off with very little fanfare at the airport, which was almost empty as travel restrictions aimed at stopping the spread of the virus have lead to widespread flight cancellations. The Olympic flame will arrive on Japanese soil on Friday at Matushima airbase and be greeted by another low key ceremony.

Tokyo 2020 organisers said Tuesday they were scaling back parts of the Olympic torch relay due to the coronavirus, but that spectators would still be allowed to watch from the roadside. Chief executive Toshiro Muto told reporters that the "grand start" of the torch relay from the disaster-hit Fukushima province would take place without spectators "in order to prevent the spread of infections". Any spectators who are feeling unwell will be asked not to watch from the roadside and torch-bearers with high temperatures will be barred from taking part, Tokyo 2020 said. The moves come as doubts increase whether the Games can open as planned on July 24, with the coronavirus decimating the global sports calendar, including Olympic qualifying events, and curtailing international travel. In addition, ceremonies to mark the flame's arrival at its final destination each day, as well as departure ceremonies, will take place without fans. So-called "welcome programmes" by local municipalities will be scrapped. The flame is set to arrive on March 20, in Miyagi prefecture north of Tokyo, after the traditional lighting ceremony in Greece took place without spectators. Only 100 accredited guests from the International Olympic Committee and the Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee, compared to the 700 planned originally, were allowed to attend the ceremony in Greece. Greece then cancelled its leg of the torch relay after large crowds gathered to see the flame, despite repeated pleas to stay away. Hollywood actor Gerard Butler, who starred as the ancient Spartan King Leonidas in the 2007 epic "300", was mobbed as he lit a cauldron in the city of Sparta. Japanese Olympic organisers had already scaled down festivities to celebrate the flame's arrival at a military base, scrapping plans to involve 200 children. The Japan leg of the relay will kick off on March 26 from the "J-Village" sports complex, which was used as an operational base by workers scrambling to contain the crippled Fukushima nuclear reactors after the 2011 earthquake and tsunami. Japan has chosen the remote towns surrounding the Fukushima nuclear plant for the start of the relay to showcase the region's reconstruction. Japanese officials have touted the summer Games as the "recovery Olympics", hoping to draw global attention and a sense of optimism to the region. The relay will tour the nation and will end in Tokyo, more than 200 kilometres (120 miles) away from Fukushima. However, as the coronavirus continues its relentless march across the world, polls in the Japanese media suggest people increasingly believe it would be better to postpone the Olympics. In a survey published on Tuesday, the Asahi Shimbun newspaper said 63 percent believed the Games should be postponed, while 23 percent said the Games should continue as scheduled. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike have insisted preparations for the Games are going ahead as planned, with the latter saying a cancellation is "unthinkable". After a telephone meeting with other Group of Seven leaders on Monday, Abe said he had received their support to hold the Olympics "in its complete format" as a "symbol of mankind's victory" over the virus. However, the decision rests with the International Olympic Committee (IOC), whose head Thomas Bach has stressed he will follow World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations regarding a possible postponement. But he has also acknowledged that the cancellation of qualifying events was posing "serious problems". The IOC is scheduled to hold high-level talks on Tuesday before holding conference calls with sports organisations to discuss various issues, including qualifying. Japan has seen 824 cases and 28 deaths related to the coronavirus outbreak, classified as a pandemic by the WHO.

A Japanese man was sentenced to death on Monday for the stabbing murder of 19 disabled people at a care home, in one of the country's worst mass killings. Satoshi Uematsu never disputed his involvement in the grisly rampage but his lawyers entered a plea of not guilty, arguing the 30-year-old was suffering a "mental disorder" linked to his use of marijuana. The court ruled that the former employee of the facility deserved no leniency over the 2016 attack, which shocked the country. "The lives of 19 people were taken away. This is profoundly grave," chief judge Kiyoshi Aonuma told the court. Uematsu planned the murders and had "an extreme intention to kill", he added. Prosecutors had sought the death penalty -- which in Japan is carried out by hanging -- and argued that the defendant was capable of taking responsibility for the violence at the Tsukui Yamayuri-en centre, just outside Tokyo. Uematsu was impassive as the verdict was announced, looking straight ahead at the judge as he was sentenced. He wore a black suit with his hair in a long ponytail down to his waist, and was flanked by six uniformed court officers wearing surgical masks. Uematsu, who faced six charges including murder, reportedly said before the trial that he would not appeal any verdict, though he argued he did not deserve the death penalty. He has reportedly said he wanted to eradicate all disabled people in the horrifying attack that also left 26 people wounded. He turned himself in to police after the assault, carrying bloodied knives. It later emerged he had left his job at the home just months earlier and been forcibly hospitalised after telling colleagues he intended to kill people at the centre. But he was discharged after just 12 days when a doctor decided he was not a threat. He had also written a letter outlining plans to attack the home, claiming "disabled people only create unhappiness". Among the few victims to be identified publicly was a 19-year-old woman, Miho, whose mother said Uematsu "didn't need a future". "I hate you so much. I want to rip you apart. Even the most extreme penalty is light for you. I will never forgive you," the mother said before the verdict, according to public broadcaster NHK. "Please bring back my most precious daughter... You're still alive. It's not fair. It's wrong." "I demand capital punishment," she added. Takashi Ono, whose son was severely injured in the attack, told reporters he was "relieved". "The judge gave the sentence the victims' families hoped for," he said. However, some questioned the need for the death sentence, a policy that faces little major opposition in Japan. "It shouldn't have been the death sentence. We should have allowed him to learn better," said Rie Sumida, a disabled 45-year-old woman waiting for the verdict. "If you kill the person because of what he did, it means you do the same thing as Uematsu," she told AFP. The head of the care home, Kaoru Irikura, had tears in her eyes as she described listening to the verdict. "When the judge explained Uematsu's motives again today, I imagined each scene" from the day of the attack, she said tearfully. "I want him to have to face what he has done until the day he dies." The trial was closely watched, and a court spokesman said more than 1,600 people lined up for 10 seats available for the verdict. The number of spots was reduced because of rules requiring spectators to sit apart to prevent the spread of coronavirus. Uematsu has shown no remorse for the attack, telling Japan's Mainichi Shimbun daily that people with mental disabilities "have no heart", and for them "there's no point in living". Uematsu's beliefs shocked Japan, with experts and activists raising questions about whether others might hold similar views. Japan has been making efforts to increase accessibility -- particularly in Tokyo ahead of this year's Paralympic Games -- and activists hailed last year's election of two disabled lawmakers. But some critics feel the country still falls short of fully integrating people with disabilities.

* 430.8 bln yen package focuses on financing for small firms * Finmin says no need yet for extra budget * BOJ may take steps this month to ensure financing Japan will unveil on Tuesday a second package of measures to offset the impact of a coronavirus outbreak, focusing on support for small businesses, Finance Minister Taro Aso said, as concerns mount about risks to the fragile economy. However, Aso said there was no need yet for a bigger extra budget, since the fallout was not so widespread as that of the 2009 financial crisis, despite politicians' growing calls for large fiscal spending. To help fund the package of 430.8 billion yen ($4.1 billion), the government will tap the rest of this fiscal year's budget reserve of about 270 billion yen, two sources with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters. The package underscores the pressure on policymakers to shore up fragile growth and stem the risk of corporate bankruptcies, as event cancellations and a tourism slump threaten to hit the economy hard. The move is likely to affect the Bank of Japan's decision on steps to underpin the economy at its March 18-19 policy review. The central bank will aim to ensure that companies hit by the virus outbreak do not face a financial squeeze before the end of the current fiscal year in March, Reuters has reported. ‘We need to ascertain the current situation,’ Aso told reporters after a cabinet meeting, adding ‘There's no saying’ whether the government needs an extra budget. FINANCIAL SUPPORT As well as support for businesses, the new package will beef up medical facilities and provide subsidies to parents who must take leave because of closed schools, Aso said. ‘Financing will focus on small and tiny businesses which face the need of financing over the next two to three weeks,’ he said. The financial watchdog has urged credit associations and regional banks to hold hearings with small businesses about their financial situation, he added. Japan will boost to 1.6 trillion yen its special financing for small- and mid-size firms hit by the virus, up from about 500 billion yen previously announced, according to a government document seen by Reuters. As part of the second package, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has said a government-affiliated lender would offer funds effectively at no interest and without collateral to small firms whose sales slumped in the outbreak. The virus has infected more than 111,000 people and killed more than 3,800 globally, with the accompanying economic disruption undermining Japan's export-led economy. The world's third-largest economy shrank by the most since a 2014 sales tax hike in the quarter to December, intensifying fears of an economic downturn. The outbreak comes at a critical time for Japan, shattering hopes of a gradual economic recovery fuelled by strong domestic demand just as it prepares to host the summer Olympic Games in July and August. The epidemic has prompted heavy selling of riskier assets and a scramble into assets such as the yen, perceived as safe havens during times of financial distress.

Sumo's spring tournament began behind closed doors on Sunday, the latest big event in Japan to be hit by the coronavirus less than five months before the Tokyo Olympics. The Japan Sumo Association said last week spectators would be barred the tournament in Osaka from Sunday until March 22, as the virus has infected at least 454 people across Japan and been linked to seven deaths. On Sunday, public broadcaster NHK carried two hours of live programing from the tournament. ‘This tournament without spectators would be an extremely hard one for sumo wrestlers as they struggle to focus their minds,’ Sumo Association chairman Hakkaku said in his welcoming address. ‘Even so, all wrestlers I'm sure will perform their best,’ he added. Viewers could hear sounds usually drowned out by spectators, including that of the wrestlers slapping their bellies and wiping their feet in the ring. Some sumo rituals were also amended, including the traditional ladle of water that a winning wrestler offers to the next in the ring. Sumo stars have already been taking precautions at fan events, refraining from shaking hands and wearing surgical masks, while a ceremonial visit to a local shrine was cancelled. The viral outbreak across Japan and dozens of other countries has fuelled concerns about the Summer Olympics, which open on July 24. On Wednesday, Tokyo 2020 organisers said they may have to scale back the torch relay and limit spectators because of concerns over spreading the virus. - Temperature checks - International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach, however, insisted that the nightmare scenario of either cancelling or postponing the Tokyo Olympics was not discussed at a key meeting last week. The no-spectator sumo tournament comes after the government's request to operators of sports and entertainment venues to consider cancelling or postponing mass gatherings to help prevent the spread of the virus. All wrestlers will have their temperature checked twice a day, sumo association board member Koichi Oguruma said. Before the tournament, yokozuna grand champion Kakuryu said: ‘I can't imagine what it's like’ to perform without spectators. ‘I'll do my best, thinking many people are cheering in front of TV,’ he added. Takakeisho, a lower-ranked wrestler added: ‘A sumo wrestler's performance is made (in part) of cheers by spectators. ‘But I have to win in this environment,’ he said before clinching his first bout.

The restaurants at the Exitmelsa shopping centre in Tokyo’s upscale Ginza district are usually packed with Chinese tourists. But on a recent weekday, many lunchtime tables were empty, a sign of the toll that the coronavirus is taking on tourism. For Japanese who have grown dependent on Chinese tourists for business, like waiter Kiyotake Watanabe, it marks a disconcerting trend. “People on group tours would gather together at noon, and 10 or 20 of them would come in all at once,” Watanabe, who works at a Chinese restaurant in the shopping centre, told Reuters.  Those customers evaporated after China in January banned overseas group tours. Just months ahead of the 2020 Olympics, the jolt to tourism may presage a broader economic impact from the coronavirus for both Japan and the global economy. Japan could be at particular risk because of its increased reliance on Chinese tourism under Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s “Abenomics” policies. Nomura Securities had forecast a 240bn yen ($2.3bn) bump from event-related tourism in 2020, which it said would evaporate if the Olympics were cancelled, although organisers have said delaying or moving the games is not an option.  Last year, Japan hosted 31.9mn foreign visitors, who spent 4.81tn yen. The flu-like virus Sars-CoV-2 has spread to about 80 countries after emerging in central China late last year and has hurt global tourism, air travel and events. About 98,000 people have been infected and 3,300 killed worldwide. Although most cases are in China, more new infections are appearing outside that country. There are no official tourism figures from February yet, but an immigration services agency official told parliament on Friday that the number of foreign nationals who entered Japan in February was below 1mn.  The last time foreign visitor arrivals were below 1mn in a single month was six years ago, in February 2014, when there were 880,000, according to the Japan National Tourism Organization. Some analysts – and anecdotal evidence from people in the tourism industry – also suggest that arrivals from Asia alone are likely to be down by at least half. “You’ve got that negativity that is going to percolate through the system,” said Jesper Koll, a senior adviser at WisdomTree Investments. The hit to economic growth from slowing inbound tourism could be a quarter of a percentage point or more, he said.  For Japan, which has seen more than 1,000 confirmed infections, 2020 was supposed to be a record year for foreign arrivals and a boon for an economy already on the brink of recession. About 9.5mn of Japan’s foreign visitors last year were Chinese, a number that has risen more than six-fold over the past seven years. And Chinese visitors spend more than others, accounting for 30% of tourists but 37% of tourist spending last year, according to Japan Tourism Agency data. At a shop near Watanabe’s restaurant, the shelves were lined with rice cookers, sake cups and beauty products such as lipstick usually popular with Chinese tourists, who are known for their “bakugai” or “explosive shopping” sprees. But there were few customers. Shop workers chatted with each other in the nearly empty store. On Wednesday, Bank of Japan Governor Haruhiko Kuroda said the outbreak has hurt consumption through a decline in Chinese tourists.  The pain could worsen after Abe on Thursday said the government would suspend existing visas for visitors from China and South Korea and quarantine them for two weeks. In the central prefecture of Shizuoka, home to Mt Fuji, Chinese account for as much as 70% of foreign tourists. Some 90,000 people, mostly Chinese, have cancelled hotel and ryokan inn bookings for the first three months of this year, according to the local tourism association. That represents about a third of the total bookings by Chinese tourists during the period. In response, the prefecture has made it easier for tourism-dependent businesses to get loans, said Mitsuhiro Sasamatsu of the local government’s tourism policy division. But some hotels that are dependent on Chinese tourists are temporarily shutting down. “For them, it is better cost-wise to shut down completely than to have the business open for few guests,” Sasamatsu said. About 80,000 new rooms are expected to open in nine major cities between 2019 and 2021, according to a June report from CBRE, a property research firm. Even before the coronavirus, the supply of rooms in all nine was forecast to outstrip demand, according to CBRE. This week, HIS Co, Japan’s largest listed travel agent by revenue, said it expected a full-year loss, rather than a profit, citing the coronavirus impact. Yoshio Adachi, who guides tourists around Yokohama’s bay area in a custom tuk tuk imported from Thailand, reckons the number of Chinese tourists has fallen by as much 60% since the outbreak. He is hoping that a bid to host a casino resort in the city, Japan’s second largest, will pan out and lead to more tourists. “The Olympics will be a one off, so the economy will need to come back after that,” he said.

* Joins other drugmakers in researching virus treatment * Studying if its existing, pipeline drugs could help * To shares plans with US Congress, other authorities  Takeda Pharmaceutical Co said on Wednesday it was developing a drug for high-risk patients infected with the new coronavirus, joining several other drugmakers seeking to develop a treatment for an illness that has killed over 3,000 people. The Japanese firm said it was working on a plasma-derived therapy which had previously been shown to be effective in treatment of severe acute viral respiratory infections. Its research would require antibodies from patients who have recovered from the coronavirus infections or who have been vaccinated, once a vaccine has been developed. "By transferring the antibodies to a new patient, it may help that person's immune system respond to the infection and increase their chance of recovery," Takeda said in a statement. It is also studying whether its currently marketed or pipeline products might be effective treatments for infected patients, the company said, adding those efforts were at an early stage. Takeda joins other drugmakers working on developing drugs to treat the flu-like disease which has struck more than 90,000 people worldwide. US-based Gilead Sciences Inc said last week it had started two late-stage studies to test its drug, remdesivir, in patients with severe and moderate cases of the illness. Pfizer Inc said on Monday it had identified certain antiviral compounds it has in development that have the potential to inhibit coronaviruses and is engaging with a third party to screen the compounds. Takeda said it would share its plans with members of the US Congress on Wednesday and was in talks with various health and regulatory agencies and healthcare partners in the United States, Asia and Europe to move forward its research into the drug. The announcement comes amid news the US Congress could debate and pass as early as this week emergency funding, possibly in the range of $6 billion to $8 billion, to help battle the virus and aid businesses. Prior to Takeda's announcement, shares in the company, Japan's biggest pharmaceuticals firm by market value, closed down 0.95%. 

* Five new infections confirmed Wednesday * Tokyo govt says proceeding with Olympic preparations * JAL, ANA cancel some domestic flights due to weak demand  The number of confirmed coronavirus infections in Japan topped the 1,000 mark on Wednesday, mostly from the Diamond Princess cruise liner, as the government reiterated that plans to host the Tokyo Olympics in July remained on track. Five new infections were reported as of Wednesday afternoon, in locations from Yamaguchi prefecture in the west to Hokkaido in the north, underlining the virus' spread across the country and raising questions about whether the Olympics can go ahead. The new cases push the total in Japan over the 1,000 mark, according to a Reuters calculation, of which 706 are from the Diamond Princess liner. A total of 12 have died, of which six were from the Diamond Princess, the health ministry said. The government's top spokesman said Japan would go ahead in preparing to host the Olympics as planned, amid speculation they could be postponed because of the coronavirus threat. "We would steadily proceed with our preparations while closely coordinating with the IOC (the International Olympic Committee) and the organising committee," Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said at a regular news conference. The Olympics are scheduled to open in less than five months and IOC head Thomas Bach on Tuesday reiterated his backing for this summer's Games despite the coronavirus threat, urging athletes to prepare "full steam." Still, there are worries the Games could be postponed or even cancelled. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has asked schools to close this month, companies are encouraging employees to work from home and sporting events are being cancelled or played in empty arenas. Olympic Minister Seiko Hashimoto fuelled concerns about a delay, saying on Tuesday that Tokyo's contract with the IOC "could be interpreted as allowing a postponement" until the end of the year, although she reiterated the government remained committed to the Games starting on July 24. Hashimoto also indicated the end of May could be a key date for making any decisions related to a possible cancellation. Masa Takaya, a Tokyo 2020 organising committee spokesman, said on Wednesday the government had clarified its commitment for the Games to proceed, and there was no deadline on a decision whether to postpone. "We have been informed from the Olympic minister that she is absolutely on the same page and the Games will go ahead as planned." The head of the World Health Organization said he had confidence in Japan's efforts and hoped for progress, but that the WHO was watching developments and talking with the IOC. "What we have agreed is that we monitor the situation and then of course with the government of Japan, if there is a need for any actions then we can discuss with the Japanese government," WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a news conference in Geneva on Tuesday. The epidemic has already been affecting related events in the run up to the Games. Crowds will be smaller and receptions have been scrapped at the Tokyo 2020 torch-lighting ceremony in ancient Olympia, Greece, next week as the Hellenic Olympic Committee (HOC) introduced measures to protect against the coronavirus, it said on Tuesday. Olympics host city Tokyo has seen 40 cases, while infections have been confirmed as far south as Okinawa. The northern island of Hokkaido reported three new cases on Wednesday, bringing its total to 82, the highest among Japan's prefectures. In western Japan, Ehime reported its second case and Yamaguchi announced its first. "Given how the coronavirus was spreading throughout the country, I thought it would only be a matter of time before a case was confirmed in Yamaguchi," Tsugumasa Muraoka, the prefecture's governor, told a news conference. "We will be doing all we can to prevent the spread of the virus," he said. In separate statements on Wednesday, Japan's biggest carrier ANA Holdings and local rival Japan Airlines Co said they would cancel some of their domestic flights between March 6-12 due to slower travel demand. 

Japan's Olympic Minister Seiko Hashimoto said on Tuesday that the contract allows for the Tokyo Games to be postponed within 2020 due to the novel coronavirus outbreak. The Tokyo Olympics are scheduled to start on July 24 but with coronavirus now a global problem, speculation over a postponement or cancellation has risen even if the International Olympic Committee (IOC) still hopes it can go ahead as planned. The IOC Executive Board, meeting in Switzerland, said in a statement that it ‘expressed its full commitment to the success of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, taking place from July 24 to August 9 2020.’  While the IOC mulls its options, with member Richard Pound saying it has until May to make a decision, the Japanese government made clear the Games could be put back to later in the year if necessary. ‘The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has the right to cancel the Tokyo Olympics only if the Games are not held within this year,’ Hashimoto said, inferring the Tokyo event could not be pushed back to 2021. About 11,000 athletes are expected to participate in the Olympics. The Paralympics are due to start on August 25. The coronavirus outbreak that originated in China has killed more than 3,000 people and infected more than 90,000 worldwide. Japan has so far confirmed nearly 990 cases of the infection, including about 700 on the Diamond Princess cruise ship in the port of Yokohama. The Japan Para Sports Association said on Tuesday that it had cancelled a test event for Paralympic wheelchair rugby due to the outbreak. The event was originally scheduled to take place in mid-March. The IOC executive board will also meet on Wednesday, after which president Thomas Bach will hold a news conference. IOC spokesman Mark Adams is due to speak to the press after Tuesday's session. The IOC statement said the board heard a report on all the measures taken so far to address the coronavirus situation, before holding a comprehensive discussion. ‘A joint task force had already been created in mid-February, involving the IOC, Tokyo 2020, the host city of Tokyo, the government of Japan and the World Health Organization (WHO), the statement added. ‘The IOC executive board appreciates and supports the measures being taken, which constitute an important part of Tokyo's plans to host a safe and secure Games.’  The IOC said it will continue to follow the advice of the WHO and welcomed the ‘flexibility’ of federations and athletes with regards to preparations for the Games, with some qualification events being hit by the outbreak. ‘The IOC executive board encourages all athletes to continue to prepare for the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. The IOC will keep supporting the athletes by providing the latest information and developments,’ it added.

A line of masked spectators raises muffled cheers for elite marathon runners, and a baseball bat's thud on a ball echoes around a vast, empty stadium: Sport in Tokyo this weekend set the tone for how a coronavirus-hit Olympic Games could play out. For the first time ever, Japan's professional baseball teams staged pre-season openers behind closed doors after the country dramatically escalated its response to the global coronavirus epidemic by closing schools and cancelling mass events. In Tokyo, Sunday's staging of the annual marathon, which last year saw close to 38,000 amateur participants, was scaled back to just a few hundred professional athletes, with the public strongly discouraged from lining the route. In past years the event attracted more than 1 million roadside spectators. "If the Olympics look like this, it's going to be a sad sight," said 68-year-old shoemaker Hiroshi Enomoto, one of the fistful of spectators cheering on the runners in the downtown area of Asakusa. The Olympic marathon itself has been moved to Japan's northernmost island of Hokkaido because of worries over Tokyo's scorching summer heat, but Enomoto and others wondered whether this weekend's crowdless events were a harbinger of things to come. "There are maybe 20% of the number of people who came to see the race last year. Normally, it's so packed you can barely breathe," said Enomoto, who remembers seeing the 1964 Olympic torch relay passing through Asakusa. Barely 30 minutes after the runners zipped through the neighbourhood's sun-soaked streets, staffers clad in bright vests removed plastic barriers and cleaning trucks swooped in to pick up trash. About an hour later, Birhanu Legese from Ethiopia arrived at the finishing line in sight of the Imperial Palace in 2:04:15. Japan's Suguru Osako ended fourth in 2:05.29, beating his own national record and securing a spot in the men's field for the Olympics. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and the president of the International Olympic Committee Thomas Bach have said the Games will go ahead. Bach said his organization was "fully committed" to the July 24 start, dismissing other options as "speculation". But the sports event cancellations and other measures were not limited to the marathon. Soccer and rugby have also been affected, and Japan's sumo association decided on Sunday to hold its spring grand tournament, set to begin in Osaka next Sunday, without spectators. Baseball fans who on Saturday had to swap the 46,000-capacity indoor stadium of the Yomiuri Giants - Japan's version of the New York Yankees - for a sports bar in central Tokyo said they hoped the virus would not impact the Games. "I don't think the Olympics will be cancelled. I'd like to see them, so if possible, I want them to go ahead," said Natsuki Tsukamoto, 26, in between sips of beer and bites of fried chicken. Deprived of the support of Tsukamoto and other fans at the Tokyo Dome, the Giants slumped to a 3:5 loss to their cross-town rivals, the Yakult Swallows. Elsewhere, the manager of Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles baseball team, Hajime Miki, reflected on the importance of spectators to sport after another game played in the absence of fans. "It made us realise again that the cheering and getting the fans to see the games gives power to the players," said Miki. 

Angry Japanese parents joined bewildered teachers and businesses yesterday in a rush to find new ways to live and work for a month after Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s shock call for all schools to close in a bid to stop coronavirus spreading.  In another drastic move, the northern island of Hokkaido, which has seen the largest number of cases in Japan, late yesterday declared a state of emergency. Its population of about 5mn people, including residents of Sapporo city, were told to refrain from venturing outside their homes over the weekend. Abe’s unprecedented move on Thursday to ask local authorities to shut schools means students will be out from Monday at least until the new academic year starts in early April.  The abrupt step drew scathing criticism, with health officials left scratching their heads and analysts saying the plan was politically motivated and made little sense. Local authorities also criticised the move and at least one prefecture and several cities rejected the request. “I’m going to have to babysit my grandkids every other day,” business owner Mieko Hamada, 56, told Reuters on her way to their house in central Tokyo. “My daughter works and can’t look after them, and their babysitter also refused. It’s utter chaos,” she said, adding that while she had her own business to run she had no choice but to ask subordinates to cover for her. Under intense questioning in parliament, Abe appeared to signal a willingness to soften the call, saying it was merely the government’s “basic thinking” and that schools and local authorities should “make their decisions flexibly.”  He pledged to take policy steps as needed to prevent the outbreak from dealing a severe blow to Japan’s fragile economic recovery. Earlier in the week, the government urged the scrapping or curtailing of large gatherings, sports fixtures and cultural events, but pledged the 2020 summer Olympic Games would go ahead in Tokyo. Infections in Japan have topped 200, with five deaths – including one of a man in his 70s. That excludes more than 700 cases and five more deaths from the quarantined cruise liner Diamond Princess, docked in Yokohama. While the virus has hit China hardest so far, causing nearly 80,000 infections and almost 2,800 deaths, its rapid spread globally in the past week has stoked fresh alarm. Japan’s Sharp Corp will start making face masks next month, making it the first domestic manufacturer to cross industry borders amid a government campaign to meet high demand due to the coronavirus outbreak, the Nikkei business daily reported. As Abe prepared to hold a news conference today, surprise at the scale of his request reverberated around the country, with officials given few clues on how to implement it. “We will continue to urge public services and private companies to make it easier for people to take time off,” Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told a news conference, without disclosing further details. Finance Minister Taro Aso said financial support for families was under review. In western Japan, Shimane prefecture – which has had no coronavirus cases – simply said it had no intention of closing schools for now. Hokkaido, which had already announced a closure of schools until March 4, provided a foretaste of the consequences. A hospital had to close doors to patients without reservations on Friday because a fifth of its nurses were unable to work with children out of school. “We don’t know how this could be extended further,” an official at the facility, JA Hokkaido Koseiren Obihiro Kosei Hospital, told Reuters. As the coronavirus spreads, more companies said they would allow workers to telecommute. But a survey in the Nikkei, published yesterday and conducted before Abe’s announcement, showed only half of major firms were telling employees to do so. Toyota Motor Corp and Honda Motor Co said they were still discussing how their factories would deal with school closures. Hitachi Ltd said it would let workers with children in school – or about 10,000 employees – work at home in March. Zoos, aquariums and other leisure facilities also said they would close, with Tokyo Disneyland, DisneySea and Universal Studios Japan shut from Saturday through March 15. Abe has come under fire for what critics say is a lack of leadership and Japan’s seemingly cautious approach to testing for the virus, especially compared with South Korea, which was preparing to test more than 200,000 members of a church at the heart of a surge in its outbreak.  He also caught flak in parliament and social media yesterday after revelations an aide had held a buffet-style fund-raising party with about 200 attendees on Feb 26 – the same day the premier asked for sports and cultural events to be scaled down. Jeff Kingston, director of Asian studies at Temple University’s Japan campus, said Abe’s move on schools was plainly political following surveys showing growing dissatisfaction with the government’s handling of the outbreak. “Suddenly, he sees the political consequences of being seen as missing in action,” Kingston said, noting his support had fallen to around 36% in a weekend poll. “He’s outsourcing responsibility to local governments and corporations.” Experts also questioned the efficacy of the move on schools. “This is one example of a nationwide plan that has a slim chance of succeeding because the extent the coronavirus has spread differs across regions,” Kentaro Iwata, a professor specialising in infectious diseases at Kobe University Hospital, tweeted.

Japan’s entire school system, from elementary to high schools, will be asked to close from Monday until spring break late in March to help contain the coronavirus outbreak, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said yesterday.  The dramatic escalation of Japan’s fight against the virus follows rising criticism of what has been seen as a lukewarm government response. “This coming week or two are an extremely important period,” Abe told a coronavirus task force. “Prioritising children’s’ health and safety above everything else, we will ask all the elementary, junior high and high schools across Japan to temporarily close from March 2 to spring break.” The Japanese school year ends in March, with spring vacation usually starting the last week of the month. A woman working as a tour bus guide was reinfected with the coronavirus, testing positive after having recovered from an earlier infection, Osaka’s prefectural government said. Her case, the first known of in Japan, highlighted how much is still unknown about the virus even as concerns grow about its global spread. The number of cases in Japan rose yesterday to more than 200, up from the official tally of 186 late on Wednesday. On the main northern island of Hokkaido, 15 new cases, including two children under the age of 10, were confirmed.  The government has urged that big gatherings and sports events be scrapped or curtailed for two weeks to contain the virus while pledging that the 2020 Summer Olympics will go ahead in Tokyo. But its handling of the virus has drawn increasing criticism, including from opposition politicians. Abe got support from the International Olympic Committee as its head, Thomas Bach, told Japanese media the IOC is “fully committed” to holding the Games on schedule.  Bach told a conference call the committee “is fully committed to a successful Olympic Games in Tokyo starting July 24,” Kyodo News reported. Abe’s sudden announcement about schools set off a flurry of worries on social media among parents now scrambling to arrange childcare. “My honest feeling — all schools on break? It’s important to protect children, but what happens if they have working parents?” wrote @Kogoro1982. The cases reported in Japan do not include 705 reported from an outbreak on the Diamond Princess cruise liner that was quarantined off Tokyo earlier this month. A man in his 80s died in Hokkaido after contracting the coronavirus, the prefectural government said, bringing the total number of people who have died in Japan to eight, including four from the ship.  The woman who tested positive twice, a resident of Osaka, in western Japan, tested positive on Wednesday after developing a sore throat and chest pains, the prefectural government said in a statement. The woman in her 40s first tested positive in late January and was discharged from hospital on Feb 1 after recovering, according to the statement.  Though a first known case for Japan, second positive tests have been reported in China — one on Feb 21 — where the disease originated late last year. The outbreak has spread rapidly and widely, infecting about 80,000 people globally and killing nearly 2,800, the vast majority in mainland China. Health Minister Katsunobu Kato said in parliament the government would need to keep tabs on the condition of those previously discharged, as health experts analysed the implications of testing positive for the virus after an initial recovery.  “Once you have the infection, it could remain dormant and with minimal symptoms, and then you can get an exacerbation if it finds its way into the lungs,” said Philip Tierno Jr, Professor of Microbiology and Pathology at NYU School of Medicine. Tierno said much remains unknown about the virus. “I’m not certain that this is not bi-phasic, like anthrax,” he said, meaning the disease appears to go away before recurring.  Asked to comment on prospects for the Olympic Games going ahead this summer, Tierno said, “The Olympics should be postponed if this continues ... There are many people who don’t understand how easy it is to spread this infection from one person to another.” The health ministry said yesterday that with the Diamond Princess still located south of Tokyo, about 240 foreign and Japanese crew members who have tested negative for the virus would disembark from the ship over the next few days. Those with no symptoms would remain at a facility near Tokyo for further monitoring, the ministry said in a statement. An official could not immediately confirm the total number of crew on board the ship, which was carrying around 3,700 people when it first docked on Feb. 3. Japan’s biggest trading group, Mitsubishi Corp, said it was telling all of its 3,800 staff in the country to work from home for two weeks starting today.

* Close to 170 virus cases separate from liner; 6 dead in total * 'Large transmission risk', next 2 weeks extremely important: PM * Abe's call also covers cultural events, large gatherings * Baseball games behind closed doors; sumo tournament in doubt * New cases, 1 death in Hokkaido; 2 cases at central Tokyo firms Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Wednesday called for sports and cultural events to be scrapped or curtailed for two weeks as the country battles to stem coronavirus contagion amid mounting concerns the 2020 Tokyo Olympics could be cancelled. Abe's call came after a Tokyo baseball team said it would play games in an empty stadium this weekend, while two businesses in central Tokyo reported confirmed cases of infection a day after the government had urged companies to encourage staff to work from home or stagger commutes. ‘Taking into account that the next one to two weeks are extremely important in stopping the spread of infection, the government considers there to be a large risk of transmission at sports, cultural events and large gatherings of people,’ Abe said in parliament. As of mid-afternoon on Wednesday, Japan had close to 170 cases of infections from the flu-like coronavirus, separate from 691 reported from a cruise ship that was quarantined of Tokyo earlier this month. The northern island of Hokkaido, the region most affected outside Tokyo with 38 cases, reported another fatality related to the virus, bringing the total in Japan to six, including 4 from the cruise liner. Hokkaido will seek to close public elementary and junior high schools for a few days starting from Thursday, the Kyodo news agency reported. The disease is believed to have originated in the Chinese city of Wuhan late last year and has spread rapidly, infecting about 80,000 people globally and killing more than 2,700, the vast majority in mainland China. Japan's government has shifted strategy in fighting the contagion, seeking to slow its expansion and minimise the number of deaths rather than stopping it completely, now seen as impossible. Earlier on Wednesday the minister in charge of the Olympics sought to quell fears the Olympics could be cancelled. International Olympic Committee (IOC) member Dick Pound said earlier the Games would more likely be cancelled than postponed or moved should the virus threat enforce any change in schedule, the Associated Press reported, with a decision necessary by May. ‘The IOC is preparing for the Tokyo Games as scheduled,’ Minister Seiko Hashimoto said in parliament when asked about Pound's comment. ‘We will continue our preparations so that the IOC can make sound decisions.’ In a briefing with reporters, Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said he had been told by the IOC that Pound's comment that any cancellation decision would be made in May was not the IOC's official stance. Officials have consistently denied the Olympics will be postponed or cancelled. But Tokyo has been forced to postpone training for volunteers, with large scale gatherings like March's Tokyo Marathon already voluntarily curtailed or halted altogether. Meanwhile the Yomiuri Giants baseball said on its website it would stage planned preseason games versus cross-town rival the Yakult Swallows at its Tokyo Dome stadium, but with no fans in the building. Located in the central Bunkyo district, the stadium can seat more than 40,000 baseball fans. Separately the national sumo association told Reuters a board meeting would be held on March 1 to discuss whether to proceed with its spring tournament, due to start in Osaka on March 8. Japan's professional soccer league has already called off all domestic games through the first half of March. The growing shadow over the Olympics came as Dentsu Group Inc, an advertising giant deeply involved in the Games, told employees to work at home after a confirmed coronavirus case at its central Tokyo headquarters. Its shares in slid to a seven-year low amid the concerns about the Games. In another confirmed case, property developer Mitsubishi Estate Co said one of its skyscrapers in the Marunouchi business district had been visited by a person with the virus. In Hokkaido, Governor Naomichi Suzuki said an elderly person in the city of Hakodate died on Tuesday and checks after the death confirmed coronavirus infection. Three additional cases were confirmed in the northern prefecture on Wednesday, Suzuki told a news conference.

A third person from a coronavirus-stricken cruise ship quarantined off Japan has died, the health ministry said Sunday, as new infections among former passengers emerged. Japan has been criticised in the face of mounting evidence that the quarantine imposed on the Diamond Princess did little to stop the virus spreading. More than 20 foreigners evacuated from the vessel have also tested positive after returning home and on Sunday, authorities admitted a Japanese passenger -- allowed to disembark after receiving a clean bill of health -- had also tested positive for the virus. A Japanese man in his 80s passed away from pneumonia after being taken off the ship, the health ministry said Sunday. Two elderly passengers died on Thursday after contracting the virus. Nearly 1,000 passengers were allowed to leave the ship this week after testing negative, but there are now serious concerns about their status. Among them was a woman in her 60s, who returned home to Tochigi prefecture north of Tokyo by train after disembarking the ship on Wednesday. She later developed a fever and tested positive on Saturday, a local official told AFP. Health Minister Katsunobu Kato admitted Saturday 23 passengers were released without being tested for the virus during the quarantine period. "There has been a judgement that those who disembarked after testing negative had no problem, but it has now become clear that those people can turn positive," Tochigi governor Tomokazu Fukuda told reporters, urging "additional measures" to contain the spread. On Sunday, Kato said he took the latest case "seriously and will strengthen follow-up of passengers", with daily phone calls from local health officials and by asking them to not make any unnecessary outings or use public transport. Those leaving the ship had already been asked to limit travel and wear a mask in public, raising questions about whether the authorities themselves believed a 14-day on-ship quarantine had indeed prevented the spread of the virus. In addition to those allowed off the boat after testing negative, 100 former passengers who had been in close contact with someone who tested positive for coronavirus have disembarked for quarantine on land. Still left on the ship are some travellers waiting for charter flights home and roughly 1,000 crew -- most of whom were not placed in isolation as they were needed to operate the Diamond Princess. Critics suspect they were inadvertently spreading the virus throughout the vessel, which saw more than 600 cases of the COVID-19 disease. Kato has defended Japan's on-board quarantine, telling a TV programme Saturday there was no medical facility large enough to admit more than 3,000 people at once. But the decision of several foreign governments to evacuate their citizens, and stinging criticism by an infectious diseases specialist who described the quarantine on board as "completely chaotic", have undermined Japan's case. Separately, Japan has confirmed at least 132 cases of infection -- including returnees from the Chinese city of Wuhan, the epicentre of the new virus. In many cases, authorities have not been able to trace how people got infected. "As we are seeing cases in which we don't know the infection route, now is an important phase in preventing mass infection," Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told his ministers on Sunday at a meeting to discuss counter-measures against the virus. The government has already urged people to avoid large gatherings, and Tokyo's government has cancelled some large public events over virus fears.