Japan’s Abe says Olympics on track, calls for citizens’ help to tackle coronavirus

Shinzo Abe promised his government’s utmost efforts to curb the spread of the new coronavirus, but said authorities alone could not tackle the threat

He unveiled another emergency package and said the Summer Olympics and a spring visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping will go ahead

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Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe attends a news conference on the new coronavirus outbreak at his official residence in Tokyo. Photo: Reuters

Published: 9:36pm, 29 Feb 2020Updated: 9:35pm, 29 Feb 2020

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Saturday called on the public to cooperate in a “tough battle” to contain the coronavirus outbreak in coming weeks as the country prepares to hold the Olympic Games in Tokyo as planned.

“To be frank, we cannot win this battle through the efforts of the government alone,” Abe told a news conference two days after calling for all schools nationwide to be closed for more than a month. The abrupt decision caught teachers, parents and their employers off guard, sparking a fresh wave of criticism.

Abe had already come under fire for his handling of the coronavirus, and Saturday’s news conference was his first since the outbreak.

Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe delivers a speech during a press conference on the new Covid-19 coronavirus at the prime minister's office in Tokyo. Photo: AFP

“I have decided we must make all efforts in the next one or two weeks to prevent the spread” of the virus, he said, while expressing confidence this was possible.

Abe said Japan would go ahead with both the Summer Olympics and a spring visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping, but added he would not hesitate to expand immigration curbs if needed.

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