Japan Shocks Parents by Moving to Close All Schools Over Coronavirus

Abe's decision is contrary to the current scientific knowledge about coronavirus and the current management by his government. Coronavirus is affecting the children less, and it is likely that even if they are infected, they are unlikely to get tested, due to the minor nature of the disease in children and the strict restrictions on testing (need to have 3-4 days of fever with signs of shortness of breath). However, it is understandable for delaying, while buying time for the weather to get warmer. It can be noted that the worst area is the coldest area in Japan. Although he has completely mismanaged the Cruise ship and the current outbreak, I think Olympics will happen, despite the reduced crowds.

I agree that the closure of a lot of schools all over Japan itself is right. The problem is that Abe didn't tell its plan even to the Minister of Education until just before he announced it officially. According to reports, no one in the administration could stop Abe's claim. Most schools must suddenly have the final day the day after Abe's decision. What will happen to the lives of single mothers or part-time teachers from the next week? The government still has no specific plans to compensate them.

I’m a public school teacher in Japan. Please understand that for most schools, classes have finished, with next week typically being final exams followed by closing ceremonies and supplementary, ungraded classes. Few classes will be missed. As for the parents, most staff will remain at school to babysit students of dual-income parents who cannot provide childcare. Not all schools will stay closed the whole month. Mine decided to only close for two weeks. Prime Minister’s word isn’t yet law, it seems.

When the Spanish flu hit the United States in 1918, two cities took contrasting approaches. St. Louis decided to shut down all schools, churches and other places of gathering. On the other hand, Philadelphia chose to basically ignore the epidemic. As a result, deaths per 100,000 people were 347 in St. Louis and 719 in Philadelphia. Go Cardinals!

When the Spanish flu hit the U.S. in 1918, St. Louis shut down schools, churches and other gathering places. Philadelphia, in contrast, did nothing of the sort. As a result, the mortality rate per 100,000 people turned out to be 719 in Philadelphia and 347 in St. Louis. Go Cardinals! https://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/17/health/17flu.html

Japan released almost 1,000 people from the Diamond Princess cruise ship who were exposed to Covid-19 earlier this month. Japan denied that their on-ship quarantine failed until other countries reported that repatriated passengers tested positive and/or became ill. Despite this gross mismanagement and keeping open boarders with China well into the Chinese crisis, Japan miraculously has not seen an increase in Covid-19 cases. Japan is silencing voices of dissenting health professionals and refusing to test exposed or ill people in order to avoid reporting confirmed cases. It seems likely that this is a desperate attempt to lessen the economic impact of the outbreak, especially vis a vis the olympics. Either that or Japan is unbelievably lucky... kinda like Indonesia.

Perhaps the Prime Minister thinks that for a month, wives can quit their jobs, or that grandparents or other relatives can act as parents. The mayor of Chiba who says "society could collapse" may be right.

All K-12 schools and universities in Vietnam have been closed since Lunar New Year, even though so far we only have 16 confirmed cases. There is talk that schools will reopen the first week of March, but Ho Chi Minh City/Saigon is recommending keeping them closed until end of March.

This is blatantly lipservice, just so that the Abe government can say they're doing *something* after they failed to do practically anything about the whole Diamond Princess deal. If both parents are working (which is becoming more and more common), who's to take care of their children for two weeks? Their elderly parents, who probably live pretty far away in rural areas (and who, as elderly people, are more susceptible to catching a disease, too)? Daycares and private schools can't handle even a temporary influx of children; there are not enough of them, much less employees. It's also close to impossible to get time off for any one of the parents for them to take care of their kids themselves. This won't solve a single thing.

I live in Japan, and I have kids in school. I'm fortunate that I can work from home, but many aren't so lucky. This will turn out to be a disastrous decision plunging Japan into a recession as a result of lowered productivity. Meanwhile, panic buying has already begun. And for what -- the corrupt Olympics? The profits of sponsors and broadcasters?

I work at a private kindergarten in Japan, so it’s not specifically covered by this policy. When we found out this morning that our school would most likely go ahead and close on Monday regardless, I was very relieved - seems like a reasonable precaution to protect students and staff. Only to find out later in the day that although our kindergarten will technically be “closing down,” at least for classes, it’ll be converted to a massive daycare for both our students and those from the local elementary school. So there will be no improvement in public health or in safety for our students and staff. This approach - technically following the order but ignoring the spirit of it / why it was ordered in the first place - encapsulates what I’ve seen in Japan the last few weeks. Both the government and private enterprises have been dragging their feet, and sloppy about implementation whenever they do decide to do something. Generally, people have either been pretending there’s no problem, or worrying about it publicly without doing much to protect themselves or others. The way things are going, I won’t be surprised if there’s a massive outbreak here in the next few weeks. And since the government has only tested about 1000 people so far (!!!), there may already be way more cases than we’re aware of.

"appeared to be an abrupt reversal of the more cautious stance" in what way? from 'more cautious' to ridiculously and politically ostentatiously cautious

13 years ago, I warned schools and colleges, in a 2007 Philadelphia Inquirer story, to prepare for an epidemic (like the coronavirus), stating: “Suppose a terrorist or epidemic disrupts an entire county or city school district, forcing schools and area colleges to close indefinitely? Where would the teachers and professors go to teach, and where would the students go to learn?” Unfortunately, few schools and colleges heeded that warning, and today lack a comprehensive online teaching strategy to comply with yesterday’s CDC Advisory. One year earlier, in 2006, I wrote the an OpEd ("Schools must learn to use Internet to quickly recover from disaster", Gannett, 12/4/2006), stating "School board members and college trustees have a fiduciary responsibility to ensure that their institutions have comprehensive plans for online learning. They must set reasonable goals for course and faculty development, and ensure their constituents (faculty, students, parents, and administrators) that, in the event of a prolonged crisis, the business of educating students will continue, albeit in a different environment." Let’s hope this is the final “wake-up” call needed by schools and colleges.

I do not know the best course, but Japan certainly does not appear to be considering the approach employed so far by Singapore.

It is unlikely that the 2020 Summer Olympics Games in Tokyo will be cancelled, or even postponed. "The games must go on" (Just as they did, after the 1972 Olympics Games massacre of Israeli Athletes in Munich. The corporate sponsors will not abide a postponement, nor indeed will NBC, which has the Broadcasting rights. The Olympics Athletes themselves would risk competing in Downtown Wuhan, just for the opportunity to win the Medals that they have trained their whole lives for. Oh, you might see some Basketball Teams or Soccer Teams having some players who balk at participating, but that would be about all. About the biggest concession to public health would be to hold the Games, but not compete in front of crowds of spectators in attendance at the respective events.

Japan has been very slow to test. Only about 1,500 cases tested so far as opposed to 50,000 in Korea next door, when their pattern vis a vis travel and exchange with China is pretty similar. It makes one wonder about the numbers....after all, the less you test, the less cases you discover. (They are not the only ones: the UK, with lower confirmed numbers, has tested 7000 or so, while the U.S. has only tested 420 evacuees.)

Just postpone the games until spring 2021 it’s pretty obvious this year nothing is happening...

Japan has practically no children, so this decision of their government does not mean much.

Really?!? So the “games” are more important than education? Bread and circuses...

This would be a great time for Nintendo to release the new update to the Pokémon Sword and shield.

The scope of this pandemic is just now coming into focus. No one is prepared to grapple with this. Yes, great that the kids are out of school and at home. But with working parents, now what? Japan's economy tanks even further? Japan's work ethic is extreme. People will be fired for being absent because of kids being home and replaced with childless/single people. Though closing schools seems like a good idea it is not well thought out. It is because of the Olympics. And many families are facing big pressures because of this new policy. The pandemic is worrisome enough. Now this. I hope the government guarantees the jobs of parents who must stay home with their kids.

This a great move! Not necessarily for the olympics but for health reasons. Schools are just acting like little transmission stations with kids picking it up from home friends etc and mixing it around etc etc. drastic measures are necessary to cut the spread at some point. Schools are a huge part of it, perhaps the major part. Then you have transportation, and other things where people congregate, shops etc. but schools are a good start.

Congratulations. This is a brilliant move, to protect the entire population. Until we have more Facts about this particular Virus, this is a very wise and prudent move. Well Done, Japan.

People need to relax. Fear drives people to do irrational things. The Tokyo 2020 Olympics are not going to be cancelled or rescheduled. The athletes have been preparing their whole lives for a moment to shine and experience Olympic glory. It's the largest sporting event in the world. The only Olympics that have been cancelled were during wartime. The RIO Olympics went forward with the Zika virus. By May everything will be OK and people will have calmed down.

If the New York Times wrote about Japan with the same fanatical hostility that it writes about China, it would have berated Japan for being so slow to act on closing schools now, while simultaneously blasting the move as an "authoritarian overreach".

Increased opportunity for children to share their germs with the general population. Great idea!

Bravo...a deadly disease with no know cause spreading dispite all government efforts and many leader's ignorance. At lease Japan puts the lives of their children first.

This whole pandemic thing is just getting started, isn't it?

So how does all of this end? Like the flu or other diseases it never really goes away. Won't it be one more disease we all can catch? Is it really feasible to lock down the world until it goes away?

This is ridiculous. What do they think parents will be doing with their homebound children? I would be at the library, cat cafes, and play spaces because kids need to run around and play! They believe that will halt the spread of the disease? They would be better served to hire staff to more closely monitor hand washing and other hygiene procedures in the schools. Japan already has a population problem of there not being enough children. What message does this send to those considering starting or expanding families?

I'm a teacher. If my school is closed, will they pay me?

This is a necessary step to protect the lives of students and teachers. I can’t believe so-called public health experts are bashing this move. Would they rather Japan take the Chinese route and respond to the outbreak weeks late—after it is already too far spread to stop?

My feeling is that the 2020 Summer Olympics are not going to happen. (Would any athletes from China be allowed/able to participate?) They should make this call now, and simply postpone to Summer 2021.

I noticed in The Times's previous article about possibly canceling the Olympics that the athletes themselves were barely mentioned. It was all about the money. And that was apt. The Olympics is a weird combination of three weeks of NBC soap opera, three weeks of ads by giant corporations, and three weeks of beggar-thy-neighbor jingoistic breast-beating. These three malign attributes are at their worst in the U.S.; at least other countries don't have to suffer NBC or so much we're-#1-ism. Especially in the U.S., the athletes themselves are merely the talent, the vehicle for delivering the money and nationalist spectacles. If the Olympics are canceled, it will buttress the proverb that there's a silver lining to any cloud.

It’s interesting how this story follows a an article yesterday about how Japan’s leadership were really casual about this virus. Abe was dropping into meetings on Coronavirus for a few minutes here and there, but seemed to be managing it politically, without making sure the government handled it well. Officials clearly mishandled the cruise ship quarantine by letting people out without testing or treatment, including officials who entered the ship during the quarantine. It looks like leaders had no plans for the virus reaching Japan until it came, no awareness of where it is, how it spreads, and who’s most at risk. The combination of articles suggests Abe thought, “the Olympics are on the line so let’s go big and force parents to stay home or hire childcare for a month. Maybe that will shut up the critics.” While news reports have noted kids can carry the virus, kids tend to display its mildest symptoms or none at all. Still, the stated reason, “protect the kids,” fits the asthmatic kid whose mother was interviewed. But it looks more like a way to slow transmission to vulnerable adults with a less direct economic impact than China’s interventions. In Japan’s leaders’ defense, Japan and South Korea have extremely close economic relations with China and both have seen rapid exposure to the virus. South Korea recently overtook Japan in confirmed cases, but that may be the result of Japan failing to test. China censored early warnings, so this is a low info, late response.

Can Trump be far behind? Only HE can save us from this deep state, or is it Chinese weapons lab, common Rush cold. The solution is at hand because of HIS leadership. Put your hands on the radio and send $50 to Mike Pence. Wait, wash your hands first, or after.

The reporters should dig into WHY there aren't as many reported cases. Abe's government is not being proactive about assessing the spike in "flu" patients to determine if it's the COVID19 virus or not. They are only increasing the likelihood that the coronavirus spreads and that the Olympics will be canceled. The lack of transparency and the willful ignorance is more damaging...end of story.

No sure how this will impact the Olympics. Even if Japan remains virus free until then, the Olympics involve hundreds of thousands of visitors from around the globe, and the athlete villages are notorious for the sharing of bodily fluids. In other words, by the end of the Olympics, half of Japan will have the corona virus. We're going to need to accept the fact that like with the flu viruses, we're all going to catch it sooner or later. For 98% of us, it'll be just one more temporary illness.

"Genie, I wish more time with my family." "Wish granted." "Noooooooooooooooooo!"

Closing schools in Japan for one month!? This is bound to cause to cause more hysteria than the virus!

If the virus continues to spread, the Olympics will have to be cancelled. What's the point of doing our best to stop the spread if we allow potentially ill people from all over the world to gather? Another scenario could be that people don't come at all, because of the disease (possibly because of travel ban, or strong advice from governments). Also, athletes may get sick too, what's the point of the Olympics if not all athletes can be present? Of course, economically it's a nightmare, but what does common sense tell?

What about all of the athletes, spectators, reporters and others coming from around the world for the Olympics? Will Chinese, South Koreans, Italians, etc be allowed into Tokyo? What kind of testing of people will take place? Won't the Olympic Village and venues be petri dishes (the new favorite term) for infection? What happens when everyone returns home with possible infection? It might be better to exercise caution and postpone the summer olympics one year .

This will only slow spread, not prevent it. Circulation of adults will still cause spread. The virus will be present in Japan this summer. Along with the remainder of the world. I suspect that turnout for the olympics will be very low. I'd say better than 50/50 that it ultimately is cancelled.

No wonder the stock market is getting hit. This is pretty likely to happen in the US. And then how will people work? The only thing I’m hopeful for at this point is that warmer weather will negatively effect the virus like it does with the annual flu season. If that’s the case, It’s probably best if as many countries as possible take similar measures and wait it out.

You might as well close all schools in France, Germany, Italy, and Spain. Japan's geographic proximity to China is a minor consideration now. Air travel has resulted in a situation in which Europe might as well be as close to China as Japan is. Covid-19 is a virus. It doesn't know what political borders drawn on a map are. The virus is conveyed from one person to another. Now that the virus has made its way to every continent except Antarctica, if Japan is closing all its schools, every other country should as well. Or not.

Good analysis, judgement, and action by a leader who understands mega-management in mass populations. China was on the verge of a national hiatus when this hit, many countries suspend everything each August, soon the cherry trees will bloom.

The currently situation in Japan isn't very transparent. They are not testing people with symptoms, raising the suspicion of trying to salvage the summer games by covering up the truth of a possible outbreak. This step might be the most correct thing JP government has done in this outbreak, however it makes people worry about the actual situation in Japan right now.

I expect similar measures in north america in the coming weeks. Since there has been no domestic testing for the last few months, while it has been highly possible for the virus to arrive here, it's quite likely that many domestic cases will be found in the next week or so, which may shock governments into drastic measures.

We crucify our leaders for supposedly under-reacting to disasters (for example, hurricanes) and then we're shocked when they over-react--for political reasons-- to an impending event.

The temporary closing of schools sends a strong signal to the world that Japan is taking this seriously. It will be a major disruption to family life, but after living in Japan for years, I can say that it is a society that knows how to work together and follow rules. They'll be fine, and there'll be very little public complaining.