Tokyo Metropolitan Government officials plan to secure up to 4,000 hospital beds to accept new coronavirus patients in case of a sudden surge in infections.

Officials on Monday held a meeting of a new coronavirus taskforce and disclosed future policies to respond to the outbreak.

The head of the Tokyo Olympic organizing committee has indicated that it would consider the possibility of postponing the games as the coronavirus continues to spread around the world.

Yoshiro Mori met reporters on Monday after the IOC said it will conclude discussions on the games, including possible postponement, within four weeks.

Japan's prime minister has said postponement of the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics may have to be considered if it is difficult to hold the Games in a complete form.

Shinzo Abe made the remark at a Diet committee session on Monday. He was commenting on the decision of the International Olympic Committee to start discussing what steps to take regarding the Games amid the coronavirus outbreak, including possible postponement.

Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has said postponement of the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics may have to be considered if the Games cannot be held in a complete form.

Abe made the remark at a Diet panel on Monday after the International Olympic Committee said it will start discussing how to handle the Games, including their possible postponement due to the global coronavirus pandemic.

The number of coronavirus infections in Japan stood at 992 as of 8:00 p.m. on Friday, with 31 new cases reported across 13 municipalities.

The figure, provided by Japan's health ministry and local governments, includes 14 cases confirmed among people who returned from China's Hubei Province on chartered flights.

Japan's education minister says the nationwide school closures will not be extended beyond spring break.

Koichi Hagiuda spoke to reporters after a meeting of the government's task force on the new coronavirus outbreak on Friday.

Japan has reported 47 more infections with the new coronavirus, bringing the total to 1,101 as of Sunday.

The figure was provided by the health ministry and local governments. It includes 14 cases confirmed among people who returned from China's Hubei Province on chartered flights.

Japanese authorities have reported two more deaths from the coronavirus, one in Osaka Prefecture and the other in Gunma.

Twenty-four new infections have been confirmed in 11 prefectures, including Oita, Saitama, Kanagawa, and Hokkaido.

Princess Aiko, the daughter of Japan's Emperor and Empress, has attended her graduation ceremony at Gakushuin Girls' Senior High School in Tokyo.

The princess was wearing a facemask as she appeared at the school on Sunday for a scaled-down ceremony amid the spread of the new coronavirus.

In the Spring Grand Sumo Tournament, Yokozuna Grand Champion Hakuho clinched his 44th title, beating fellow grand champion Kakuryu on Sunday.

The two Mongolian Yokozuna wrestlers had entered the final day of the Osaka tournament with 12 wins and 2 losses each. Hakuho had previously won 41 bouts against Kakuryu and lost eight.

Weather officials declared on Sunday that cherry trees are in full bloom in Tokyo.

The Meteorological Agency's announcement came 12 days earlier than average and was five days earlier than last year. Central Tokyo was as warm as in late May, with a daytime high of 23.7 degrees Celsius.

Japanese authorities have reported one death in Osaka Prefecture from the new coronavirus and six more infections in Hiroshima, Kanagawa and Oita prefectures.

The new cases bring the total reported by the health ministry and local governments to 1,060 as of 11:30 a.m. on Sunday.

Five Japanese people have tested positive for the new coronavirus after returning from Italy, Spain, and France.

The five were tested at quarantine stations at Haneda Airport in Tokyo or Narita Airport, near the capital, on Friday.

Japan has reported 39 more infections with the new coronavirus, bringing the total to 1,054 as of midnight Sunday.

The figure, provided by the health ministry and local governments, includes 14 cases confirmed among people who returned from China's Hubei Province on chartered flights.