More than 200 cruise ship visits to Japan cancelled over coronavirus

You might be right, but it is easier to say with the benefit of hindsight, kwatt.

No-one knew what this thing was going to do back then. It would have been a risky gamble to take any such drastic action with such potentially economic and diplomatic repercussions. Even now it's a series of shifting dotted lines that the 'experts' are still desperately trying to connect up.

It seems to me Japan should have shut down all international airport and all sea ports right after first outbreak in China. Japan needed a big decision at that time. It seems too late. Shutdown is the best protection for Japan because it is an island in the ocean. No one could come to Japan.

> "It's very unusual to receive cancelations one after another like this," said an official at the bureau, which controls Osaka's port. "We are worried whether the impact will drag on into the summer."

With regard to the recent case of the Diamond Princess, I would propose that it is usual that cruise companies would wish to avoid Japan at this time...

sorry kwatt but it would not have been realistic to close ports. Whether we like it or not it's a connected world and instantly turning it off is no longer possible.

Also the level of planning required to be that decisive does not exist in Japan. Even today. Even tomorrow

The question is: How long would you keep them closed? 

Shutdown must be temporary for at least 4 weeks, and wait and see how widely coronavirus spread all over. If it doesn't spread much, shutdown is stopped.

The question is: How long would you keep them closed? At the moment it is absolutely possible that corona might become a regular, seasonal thing like influenza which kills between 300.000 and 650.000 people each year...

kurisupisuToday  07:21 am JST

With regard to the recent case of the Diamond Princess, I would propose that it is usual that cruise companies would wish to avoid Japan at this time...

It goes much farther than just Japan.

"Cruise lines, working with the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), have swiftly reacted to the outbreak and started implementing their own precautions by canceling sailings, rerouting others, restricting passenger and crew boarding, and boosting screening procedures for passengers boarding from Chinese ports or who have traveled in or through China, Hong Kong and Macau."

https://www.cruisecritic.com/news/5016/

Yeah, that was a very good point, kwatt. Since Japan doesn’t have any land borders, then you only two ways in, or by sea in by air. And now that they have the cruiseships canceling, I just wonder how long it’ll be before flights become canceled as well. I mean if it hasn’t happened already that is.

*the only two ways in. *are by sea.

My mistake.