On the streets of Japan’s capital, there’s no sense of panic or alarm, but people are steadily increasing their precautions against the deadly novel coronavirus that is spreading globally.
Seven new cases of the novel coronavirus in Japan were announced Tuesday, bringing the country’s total to 68 outside of the 545 infections linked to the Diamond Princess cruise ship docked in Yokohama.
In Tokyo, people can regularly be seen wearing surgical face masks, despite a shortage of the protective wear making them increasingly hard to find.
Many convenience stores and supermarkets are limiting the purchase of face masks to one packet per person. Some shops have also posted signs saying when the next mask delivery will be to avoid having to constantly respond to customer queries.
No panic: But unlike other countries, there has been no sign of panic buying of supplies such as toilet paper or canned food in Japan.
Japanese companies are increasingly recommending people work from home if possible, as alcohol hand wash has appeared in lifts and corridors of major buildings across Tokyo.
Speaking on Tuesday, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe urged citizens who had cold-like symptoms to stay at home.
But there’s no doubt that tensions are steadily increasing in the country as health experts warn Japan has entered the “next phase” of the outbreak spreading locally in the country.
For now, Japan is on alert, not alarmed.
