Police in central Japan have arrested three former nursery school teachers on suspicion of assault on young children at the school.

The suspected assaults occurred when the three women were working for Sakura Hoikuen in Susono City, Shizuoka Prefecture. They all quit by the end of November.

Japan's health ministry has drafted a plan to provide daycare for children whose schools have been asked to close to stop the spread of the coronavirus.

The plan was compiled after Prime Minister Shinzo Abe requested the temporary closure of all schools from Monday.

Teachers in Japan are busy preparing for urgent school closures that the government requested across the nation to contain the spread of the new coronavirus.

At a primary school in Ayase City, near Tokyo, teachers are working over the weekend to prepare assignments for children to complete over the unexpected holidays.