♪ hello and thank you for joinining us on this edition of nhk "newsline." i'm raja pradhan with the news from tokyo. a panel of experts guiding japan's response to the new coronavirus pandemic has warned of the danger of infections exploding if the number of patients with unclear infection routes continues to increase. >> translator: the most significant risk that we have in mind is that the virus spreads through a town without anyone realizing it. this could suddenly lead to a situation called overshoot where you see an explosive surge of patients.

> the panel met for the eigh time on thursday. the members said in their latest update the country has kept the virus under control to a certain extent. but they cautioned against ovoverlooking the potential ris and stressed the need to tailor responses to the situation in each area. the panel alsoso offered specif recommendations. it said in areas where infections are on the rise, authorities should consider declaring states of emergency and ask residents to stay at home, noting similar measures taken by the northern prefecture of hokkaido last month made some difference. as for areas without confirmed infections, the panel suggested schools could reopen and outdoor sporting events could be held. the suggestions came ahead of a three-day weekend here in japan. the governor of osaka prefecture requested that nonessential travel to and from neighboring hyogo be avoided over the extended weekend. osaka prefecture is among the four prefectures that have

reported over 100 cases. the handover ceremony for the olympic flame has been held in greece ahead of the tokyo games this summer. but the event was scaled back because of the coronavirus pandemic. the ceremony took place at the panathenaic stadium in athens. no spectators were allowed in the stands. two japanese olympians who won gold at the 2004 games in athens were supposed to take part, but their visit was canceled. the flame will arrive in northeastern japan by plane on friday. but the idea of holding the games as scheduled is drawing criticism. the pandemic has forced a number of qualifying events to be canceled or postponed. greek gold medalist katerina stefanidi spoke to reporters after the ceremony. she said the crisis has put some athletes as a disadvantage and she called for flexibility regarding the timing of the games. >> i am not concerned about

whether or not the olympics will be held this year for whwhen thl be held. i want the message coming out to be portraying the true severity of the situation and volatility of the situation. >> the head of the french swimming federation is also calling for the games to be postponed. he says training facilities in the country have been shut down. the international olympic committee is defending its position. it says no solution will be ideal, but it's counting on the responsibility and solidarity of the athletes. italy's outbreak is now the deadliest in the world. the country's death toll from the coronavirus has surpassed that of china. the w.h.o. announced infections around the globe now exceeds 200,000 as leaders scramble to take tougher measures to contain the spread. italy has recorded more than 41,000 cases. 475 patients died on thursday bringing the total number of deaths to o 3,405, surpassing

china's count of 3,245. the authorities have cited a variety of reasons for italy's high number of coronavirus deaths. one is its large number of elderly people, 22.6% of the population, which is the highest in the european union. the cases are concentrated in the country's north where hospitals are becoming overwhelmed amid shortages of necessary equipment. as infections spread, national leaders are not immune. the royal family of monacoco sa on itsts facebook k page the hef state albert ii i was infected with the new coronavirus. he is said to be in stable condition and is continuing his duties at home. the european union's chief brexit negotiator also annouound through twitter he's tested positive for the coronavirus. with the e.u. and the uk's second round of post-brexit negotiations already called off, there are growing calls to extend the transition period, which expires at the end of this year.

infections are also spreading in the south pacific. australia is banning visits by nonresidents and noncitizens. the restrictions, which came after the prime minister told travelers not to travel over seas take effect onn fririday evening. >> the overwhelming proportion of cases in australia have been imported. and the measures we have put in place e have had an impact o on that. this is a further measure now that will ensure that t that ca be further enhanced. >> new zealand has also announced it's closing its d dos to a all foreigners. india followed suit on thursday announcing it'll ban all international passenger flights from landing in the country from sunday for one week. in a televised address, indian prime minister narendra modi called on people to work at home and refrain from going out unless it's absolutely necessary. he also said he would announce economic measures in the near future.

and in thailand, hundreds of army troops kicked off an operation to disinfect streets in the capital of bangkok. this follows the government's decision to close places where people can gather. the troops will be on the job every night until the end of this month. >> translator: it's our job to protect the people in bangkok, and tonight that's what we are going to do. >> thailand has reported about 200 new cases in the past week. many had visited bars and boxing stadiums. the world health organization says more than 200,000 infections have been confirmed around the globebe. more than 8,000 people have died. the w.h.o. director general says over 80% of all cases are in the western pacific and europe. now singapore has expanded entry restrictions for visitors

who have recently been in italy, france, spain, and germany to contain the virus. the new measures come as the number of cases in singapore climbs to more than 3030 nhk world d has more. >> reporter: the temperature has gone past 35 degrees celsius. singapore is hot all year-round, yet people are still worried about the spread of covid-19. viruses like influenza generally thrive during the winter season when it is dry and cold. but the coronavirus is spreading even in singapore with its equatorial climate. >> i am a little bit afraid definitely. >> repororter: onene theory y ss the e infectioion is spreading the air-conditioned offices and restaurants where people gather. and experts say while air temperatures may have some effefect on the spread of the disesease, it is limimited.

>> just thinking about it in terms of temperature alone, i think it may contribute, but i think there are a whole lot of other factors contributing. as well. >> reporter: while health officials work to track down the origin of the virus, the cououny has moved ahead and introduced strict quarantine measures. >> we have already put in place some penalties and we will ensure that the penalties s are stricter. we continuously assess, reassess the situation and the risksk, a then we update our measures progressively if and when it is nenecessary. >> reporter: more than 6,000 people, including those who have visited countries where the virus is spreading, have been ordered to quarantine themselves for 14 days after entering singapore. people who violate the quarantine face fines of up to 7,500 u.s. dollars and up to six months in prison. with foreign nationals even having their visas revoked.

govevernment authorities have t up a team of experts to o keep track of i infected peopople's movementnts. th have publisd the peonal details infected dividuals including their profession, home address, and even their workplace. this map has been created based on the information. the red areas show where infections have been confirmed. the developer says on sundays the websbsite has as many as 30,000 hits. >> most of the time you see the tip of the iceberg because that's where the severe disease is. i think singapore is trying to go as deep as possible in trying to see the entire iceberg. >> reporter: it remains to be seen how effective singapore's sterile containment policy is and whether it could serve as a model for other countries where the coronavirus is only starting to appear. nhk world, singapore.

the coronavirus pandemic is affecting japan's imperial family. the government is postponing a visit to the united kingdom by the emperor and empress. >> translator: in view of the spread of new coronavirus infections in the international community, we have decided to reschedule the visit in consultation with the british government. >> the chief cabinet secretary said the government had been trying to schedule the visit for early may. he said there is no change to the plan for britain to be the first country the emperor visits since h his accessionon to the throne last year. the number of confirmed infections here in japan has climbed to about 950. it does not include the more than 700 cases on the diamond princess cruise ship. over 30 people have died as well as another seven from the cruise ship. ♪

the international labor organization says the coronavirus pandemic could cause more job losses than the 2008 financial crisis. an ilo report gives a worst-case estimate of nearly 25 million job losses. it says that would mean up to $3.4 trillion in lost income. the ilo says job losses could be reduced to around $5 million through a coordinated policy response. it's calling for measures such as tax breaks for small and medium-sized businesses. the ilo's director general guy ryder called the pandemic a major labor market and economic crisis. he said everything needs to be done to minimize the damage to people. the coronavirus has been stoking uncertainty for foreigners living in japan as so-called technical trainees. some of them have been unable to take skills tests needed to renew their visas. but the government has thrown

them a lifeline. government officials announced on thursday trainees can extend their stays for up to four months after tests were postponed or canceled around the nation due to the pandemic. technical trainees come to learn skills in japan for up to five years. there were more e than 320,000 the country in 2018. in other news, a japanese court has dealt an unusually long sentence to a man convicted of fatally abusing his daughter. the 16-year sentence is roughly six years longer than what courts usually hand down in similar cases. the presiding judge noted abuse of the 10-year-old w was prolond and called it appalling and loathsome. the girl was found dead last year in the bathroom of her family's home in chiba prefecture. her father was accused of forcing her to stand under a cold shower before her death. he said during his trial he did

not dispute the charge, but he asserted he didn't routinely abuse his daughter and denied committing most of the alleged acts of violence. his lawyers argued his disciplinary actions got out of hand. prosecutors had demanded an 18-year prison term. they said the abuse was both psychological and physical and went on for a long time. ♪ ♪ and next here is the three-day weather outlook for selected cities around the globe. ♪

♪ and that's all for now on this edition of nhk "newsline." i'm raja pradhan in tokyo. there's much more to come here on nhk world japan. so please do stay with us. ♪

♪ welcome to "newsline in depth." i'm marie onaka. the coronavirus continues to spread around the world with the growing number of infections in many countries. in china, the number of new cases is starting to fall according to the health authorities there. they are haling the strict measures they've taken to obtain the coronavirus outbreak. however, the coronavirus is still far from done disrupting people's lives and businesses. the impact on china's economy is illustrated by data issued on

monday by the country's national bureau of statistics. in the first two months of the year, three key economic indicators posted significant drops. industrial output, retail sales and fixed asset investment. the chinese government is key to -- keen to get business back on track. but as we see in our first story, some companies in beijing are facing a lack of manpower. >> this area on the outskirts of beijing is home to many staffing agagencies. usually, the streets would be swarming with job seekers, but not this year. this staffing office has cancelled all events briringing together job seekers and employers. >> translator: we'll restart the job fairs after the outbreak ends. when that will be depends on the government's handling of the issue. >> reporter: local resourceses

have restricted public gatherings, and that includes marketingg activities. employment agencies are calling on job hunters to contact them via social media. people returning to the chinese capital are required to stay at home for two weeks. but some landlords are suspending rental contracts with migrant workers due to fears of infection. >> translator: some people cannot find places to live even if they want to come back here from their hometowns. >> reporter: some businesses are sharing manpower to overcome the problem. this supermarket chain operates a home delivery service. customers order on a smartphone app. the virus outbreak has triggered a flood of orders from people staying at home. the company has started borrowing workers from restaurants that remain n close.

this man began working at this store last month. he's actually a sushi chef from a nearby japanese restaurant, but the eatery has scaled down its business significantly. the owner decided to send some of its item staff to the supermarket. more companies plan to adopt the worker sharing system, meaning tens of thousands will be joining yang in new workplaces. >> if i keep at it for another month or two, things should be better again. >> translator: if they work at this store, they can continue to get paid while also allowing to us to solve the problem of staff shortage. it's a win-win situation. >> reporter: businesses are on the front line in the fight to

contain the virus. solving the manpower shortage will be critical to their recovery effort, and in some cases, to staying in business. nhk world, beijing. now, hong kong is also reeling from the impact of the pandemic. in early february, its government decided to close 11 of its 14 border crossings with the mainland. while that helped to contain the outbreak it has l led to some major inconveniences. >> translator: we will impose stricter measures on the flow of people. anyone arriving from the mainland is subject to a compulsory 14-day quarantine. >> reporter: normally bustling areas near the border instantly became ghosttowns. the new measures triggered

temporary panic buying, as people flocked to stockpile toilet paper and other items on rumors that supplies from the mainland would dry up. and the virus is also having an impact on firms with operations across the border. this man owns five factories in the southern province of guangdong. he typically spends more than half the week in mainland china, but now that freedom is severely restricted. >> translator: when i complete procedures on the mainland and get back to hong kong, i have to go into isolation. >> reporter: for two weeks, he needs to take his temperature twice a day and report it to the authorities. even after the quarantine period, he continued to rely on video conferencing with his staff on the mainland.

but in the end, he has no choice but to go to the factories in person to sign papers or make inspections. another round of quarantine awaits on his return to hong kong. >> translator: i need to meet my staff face-to-face, to make important decisions for the company, even for projects that have already been approved, as well as when changes are needed. >> reporter: small and midsize businesses worry about what happens next. >> translator: some of our customers are demanding that factory owners move part of their production bases to sosomewhere like southeast asia. we have to wait and see how the situation develops.

>> reporter: with no end in sight to the coronavirus crisis. and the strict border and quarantine controls curtailing movement, many of hong kong's businesssses are s struggling w how to respond. nhk world, hong kong. for our final report, we go to wuhan, where the coronavirus pandemic first broke out. the city has been under lockdown since january. one man has been posting reports from the deserted streets. he's a videographer who has volunteered to help during the crisis. nhk world spoke to him to find out what's motivating him. to protect his privacy, he asks to be own only by his family name, lin.

>> reporter: lin's posts, called wuhan diary, began on january 23rd, and have garnered more than 5 million followers. as a volunteer driver for medical staff, he's seen the impact the coronavirus has had on daily life. lin interviewed dozens of volunteeeers including a barber who is going into wuhan's hospitals to cut doctors' hair. >> reporter: he's also met frustrated amount residents forced to stay inside.

>> translator: wuhan is not just a city of people who are infected or ill. they are people who arare as healthy as i am. i wantnt to show that all of usn this enclosed environment are exexperiencing the impact of th virus even if we're not infected. >> reporter:r: lin says ththe cs strerength has beeeen tested. but seeing e examples of p peop helpining others givives him ho despite the e loneliness. it's a feeling shared by another volunteer driver of medical supplies. >> translator: when i drive through the city, i feel like i'm the only car on the road. it's miserable. and sometimes, i just cannot help crying while driving. i have to do whatever i can so that wuhan will return to normal sooner.

>> reporter: lin's videos give us a window on to people's resilience in even the worst circumstances. while delivering donated drugs to patients, he met the wife of a infected doctor. >> translator: she told me that her husband was seriously ill and showed me his ct scan. i gave her the medicine. she took it and pretended to be calm, trying to smile. i saw her strong heart at ththa timeme. and it mak the situation even sadder. after, i was really sad in theh car, and i cried. >> reporter: on february 7th, the world was shocked to hear of the death from the virus of

dr. li woo yang, he had posted a message online late last year warning of a viral infection similar to sars. a few days later, li was cautioned by police for what they described as spreading illegal and false information. >> translator: yesterday, the entire internet was filled with posts mourning the death of dr. li. i, like everyone else, am feeling so much sadness and anger. we still feel that if the government had had let us knowo about this a little earlier, it might not have become a serious as it is now. so, based on this, what li woo yang did is worthy of praise.

>> reporter: with no official confirmation of when the lockdown might end, lin says t e road ahead for w wuhan will be difficult. >> translator: after everything is over, a long recovery period is bound to be required. this recovery is not onlyly economic recovery but also must include the psychological recovery of people in the city. >> reporter: while wuhan's future is still unknown, lin says the people in the city are clinging to empathy amid the uncertainty and dreaming of simple pleasures once unappreciated and now longed for. nhk world. >> lin avoids being overtly critical of the government. but his 5 million followers can

read between the lines in his stories. lin says he continues to share his wuhan diaries until life in the city returns to normal. and that's all for today's "news line in-depth." thanks for watching our program.

ashor: italy overtakes china the country suffering the most coronavirus deaths. ♪ anchor: hello, this is al jazeera. claims ofg up, unregistered deaths i in homes. >> we are going to be able to make that available almost immediately. correspondent: donald trump tells americans that a malaria drug could offer therapy for the virus. northern syria and around the world, the virus brings members