Japan will close schools through March in an effort to reduce the risk of spreading the coronavirus among school children and teachers.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe ordered the closure of all elementary, junior high, and high schools from Monday through early April, when the schools’ spring break ends, according to the Japan Times.
“Efforts have been made to prevent the spread of infection among children in each region, and these one or two weeks will be an extremely critical period,” Abe told key Cabinet ministers Thursday.
Abe’s support has declined since the threat of pandemic has ramped up. The Japan Times noted that his approval rating had fallen 8.4 points to 36.2% since last month.
The Diamond Princess cruise ship, which docked in Tokyo ahead of schedule in its voyage, housed at least 700 passengers infected with the virus. Four passengers have died. Additionally, at least 185 people in Japan have been infected.
Since the proliferation of coronavirus cases began, the organization behind the Tokyo Olympics has said the window to decide whether the games will go on is about three months. However, organizers say the games will go on as planned.
The virus has infected about 82,400 people worldwide, and at least 2,800 people have died.
