The number of confirmed coronavirus infections in Japan had reached 1,896 as of Monday noon. The figure includes 14 people who returned from China's Hubei Province on chartered flights.
The data was compiled by local governments and the health ministry. It includes 41 cases among health ministry officials, quarantine officers and those who were found to have the virus during arrival checks at airports.
Veteran Japanese comedian Shimura Ken passed away on Sunday night at a hospital in Tokyo. The 70-year-old comedy icon was confirmed to have been infected with coronavirus.
On March 17, he was not feeling well and was brought to a hospital where he was diagnosed with a severe case of pneumonia. He was undergoing treatment on a heart-lung machine.
An NHK opinion poll shows that more than 90 percent of the respondents support the decision to delay the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics.
NHK conducted the survey over the weekend. More than 1,300 people responded.
A defendant sentenced to death for killing 19 people with intellectual disabilities at a care home near Tokyo has withdrawn an appeal to a higher court. The sentence is to be finalized after midnight on Monday.
The Yokohama District Court on March 16 handed down the ruling to 30-year-old Uematsu Satoshi for the murders in Sagamihara City four years ago. Uematsu worked at the facility before the murders.
Several Tokyo Metropolitan Government officials say new dates for the 2020 Tokyo Games have been decided.
The Tokyo Olympics will open on July 23, 2021 and the Paralympic Games will open on August 24 of the same year.
Japan plans to include in its list of entry denials foreigners arriving from the United States, China and South Korea as well as most parts of Europe and some parts of Southeast Asia as the coronavirus pandemic expands.
The Japanese government has decided to soon raise a travel alert to all parts of the US to level three, recommending the cancellation of trips to the country. It will also ban foreigners who have stayed in the US in the past two weeks from entering Japan. The move comes amid the sharp rise of infections in the US.
Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party has put together its draft proposals on a stimulus package to cope with the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic. It calls for measures of a larger scale than those taken during the 2008 global financial crisis.
The draft includes a proposal of 20 trillion yen, or about 186 billion dollars, in fiscal spending and 60 trillion yen, or about 560 billion dollars, for businesses.
Japan has so far been spared from the worst effects of the coronavirus pandemic. But health authorities are afraid that may now be changing.
Tokyo is emerging as the epicenter of the outbreak in the country. The Metropolitan Government is calling on people to stay at home after sunset, to help curb the spread.
A facility for people with disabilities in Chiba Prefecture, east of Tokyo, has confirmed a total of 86 coronavirus infections.
Prefectural authorities said 28 additional cases were reported at Hokuso-Ikuseien in Tohnosho Town by 7:30 p.m. on Sunday.
Japan confirmed 169 additional coronavirus infections on Sunday, the second largest single-day count following the 200 recorded on the previous day.
The country has seen 1,893 cases, excluding 712 from the Diamond Princess cruise ship, which was quarantined at Yokohama Port south of Tokyo.
The Tokyo Metropolitan Government plans to intensify its call for people to stay at home after sunset as part of its efforts to curb the spread of the new coronavirus.
Sources familiar with the policy say multiple people are suspected of having contracted the virus while dining at restaurants at night.
A nonprofit group is offering telephone consultations for foreign workers in Japan whose livelihoods are at risk due to the coronavirus outbreak.
"Posse" provided consultations in English and Japanese on Sunday afternoon.
The Tokyo metropolitan government plans to continue asking residents to work from home and refrain from nighttime outings on weekdays as much as possible to help curb the spread of the coronavirus.
The request will remain in place at least until April 12. The Tokyo government has postponed or canceled major events that had been scheduled during this period.
Japanese health authorities say more than 80 people have been confirmed to be infected with the coronavirus on Sunday so far, bringing Japan's total to over 1,800.
A low pressure system and a cold air mass brought unseasonal snow to Tokyo on Sunday.