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.

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.

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.

As the coronavirus continues to spread, the governor of Saitama Prefecture has called on people to avoid going to Tokyo for non-essential purposes.

At a press conference on Sunday, Motohiro Ono said he is concerned about a further increase in the number of infections.

The Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics organizing committee will likely support the idea of delaying the Games to July of next year.

The committee has been working to set new schedules and secure venues for the events since they were postponed last week due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The organizers of the Tokyo Olympics have decided to keep the Olympic flame in the capital city after displaying it for a month in Fukushima Prefecture.

The flame was brought to Japan from Greece on March 20. Torch relay was scheduled to start at the J-Village soccer training center in Fukushima on March 26. But Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach agreed to postpone the Games just two days earlier.

The head of the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics organizing committee says he hopes to set new dates for the postponed events by the end of next week.

The committee has been working to finalize schedules and secure venues for the Games since they were postponed from this summer in the face of the coronavirus. It wants to hold them by the summer of 2021 at the latest.

A low pressure system and a cold air mass is likely to bring snow to Tokyo and its surrounding areas on Sunday.

Japan's Meteorological Agency says snow is expected to fall in wide areas of the Kanto region, including Tokyo, from the early hours on Sunday until noon.

Most supermarkets in Tokyo are operating as usual despite residents being asked to stay home as much as possible to limit infections from the coronavirus.

Saturday is the first day since the governor's request that people cancel non-essential outings for the weekend. The appeal prompted a rush on stores earlier in the week as shoppers stocked up on groceries.

The governor of Tokyo has again urged people to refrain from non-essential outings, warning that the capital is at a critical juncture in preventing an explosive spread of the coronavirus.

Yuriko Koike made the appeal as she reported 40 new cases in Tokyo on Friday. The Japanese capital has seen 40 or more new patients for three straight days.

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government set up a coronavirus task force on Friday following a spike in the number of confirmed cases in the Japanese capital.

Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike has warned that the city faces the risk of an explosive growth in infections. She has asked Tokyo residents to avoid going out this weekend.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has warned that Japan's economy would be hard hit if Tokyo is locked down due to the coronavirus.

Abe made the comment in response to an opposition lawmaker's question about a recent spike in infections in the Japanese capital.

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government has confirmed 47 new cases of coronavirus infection, another daily high.

Government officials made the announcement at a news conference on Thursday.