A growing number of people who have lost, or will likely lose their jobs amid the coronavirus outbreak in Japan, have received offers to perform illegal work through social media.
The labor ministry says 1,473 people had lost their jobs, or faced the prospect of losing their jobs, for the roughly two months through April 6. The ministry cites deteriorating corporate performance as one of the reasons.
Japan's Prime Minister Abe Shinzo has repeated his call for people to avoid travel during the upcoming holidays, to prevent the spread of the coronavirus from urban to rural areas.
Abe was speaking at a news conference on Friday, one day after a state of emergency over the coronavirus outbreak was expanded nationwide. The declaration had covered Tokyo, Osaka and five other prefectures.
Japan's health ministry says those who died or got seriously ill from the coronavirus were largely elderly but also included younger people.
The ministry released a breakdown of cases in Japan by age group, including deaths and seriously ill patients.
Fewer people were seen on the streets of Japan's major cities than normal on Sunday after authorities asked residents to stay home to curb the rapid spread of the coronavirus.
In Tokyo's Shinjuku district, major department stores and clothing shops shut their doors. Notices of temporary closure were put out at karaoke parlors.
Tokyo Governor Koike Yuriko has called on residents to refrain from non-essential, non-urgent outings, following the confirmation of 118 new cases of coronavirus infections in the prefecture.
In a comment released on Saturday, Koike added that there is sufficient capacity to treat patients this weekend, and that those with mild or no symptoms will be moved to hotels in accordance with the health ministry's instructions, as she had announced on Friday.
Saturday morning around Tokyo's Ikebukuro station was quieter than usual as people appeared to be following a request to stay home. The Tokyo Metropolitan Government continues to urge against nonessential weekend outings as a way of containing the coronavirus.
Department stores stand shuttered behind posters advising of temporary closures. The district's major electronics stores have also shortened their opening hours.
Tokyo Governor Koike Yuriko is urging people not to spend time in bars and other spots operating during the nighttime hours, in an effort to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
She was speaking at a news conference on Monday evening, following a recent spike in the number of the coronavirus infections in the capital.
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 request by Tokyo's governor that people stay home this weekend amid the coronavirus outbreak had shown some results on Saturday morning. Observers reported seeing fewer people than usual around the major rail hub of Shibuya.
A few people were sitting on the benches near the Hachiko dog statue, a popular meeting spot.
RADWIMPS have released a new song titled "Light The Light" for people battling the new coronavirus.
RADWIMPS were supposed to kick off their nationwide tour 'KONNICHIWA NIPPON TOUR 2020,' but due to the pandemic, it was postponed. On the song, Noda Yojiro (Vo, G), "Our song 'Light The Light', which was written for people battling the coronavirus, will begin streaming on various platforms at 12:00 am. Tomorrow was supposed to be the first day of our tour, the first day at Kyocera Dome. It's frustrating. I will never forget this frustration."
Japan's Foreign Ministry is planning to ask citizens to refrain from traveling to almost all parts of Europe in response to the spread of the new coronavirus.
The ministry has already advised people not to visit five regions, mostly in northern Italy, by issuing a Level 3 Travel Advisory and Warning.
A Japanese court will soon hand down a ruling on the killings of 19 people with intellectual disabilities at a care facility in Sagamihara City, near Tokyo, in 2016.
The Yokohama District Court is scheduled to issue a verdict on Satoshi Uematsu on Monday afternoon. The 30-year-old used to work at the facility, Tsukui Yamayuri-en.
Japan is set to deny entry to visitors from northern parts of Italy. The Italian areas have been virtually locked down, amid efforts to combat the spread of the coronavirus.
The Japanese government is preparing to add northern areas of Italy to the coronavirus travel ban list. People visiting from regions on the list have been barred from entering Japan.
People trying to get to Japan from China and South Korea are rushing to complete the trip before the government starts quarantining all arrivals from the two countries.
The Japanese government said earlier this week that from Monday it will require everyone coming from the two neighboring countries to be isolated at designated facilities for two weeks, as part of measures to stem the spread of the new coronavirus.