Japan's retail, tourism industries on alert against coronavirus

Definitely... All steps are needed to prevent the further "entry" of the disease.

It is also most important for hospitals, clinics and even pharmacies to take steps to help prevent its spread. The virus has already "entered" Japan. We just do not know if it is being spread.

The public must also be warned and proper prevention measures must be taken.

Already, my children's schools have stopped their classes from three days ago due to more than the normal numbver of students coming down with flu and flu like symptoms. Not ot be prejudiced, but interesting that we do have a larger number of Chinese businesses and immigrants here in our part of the country.

The train stations in Japan do not always have soap or hand drying facilities-hot water is a dream!

Crowded trains and unwashed hands become a paradise for viral infections...

From friends in Osaka and Kyoto: (translated version)

Today, picking up cough and fever of, Tourists from wuhan, China, at Japan's Kansai International Airport. They were sent to the hospital, but they escaped to visit Universal Studios Japan Osaka and Kyoto

Difficult to be judgmental coming to Japan on short vacation, but didn't really think much for the safety of others too given the circumstances. Now wonder how many more others were infected and was this purposely done by a foreign country?

It's being reported that the coronavirus has been active since early December, but the Chinese government didn't warn the public. Now it looks like the Chinese government is late again and it's now in a state of panic. It could be much worse than we think.

Already, my children's schools have stopped their classes from three days ago due to more than the normal numbver of students coming down with flu and flu like symptoms

This is routine in Japan and happens pretty much every year, at least in the countryside. In inaka, classes are small, so that the "20% of the kids have something contagious" rule that shuts down classes in reality means no school when two or three kids have flu. This practice, called "gakkyu heisa", only happens because it is assumed every household can provide childcare at short notice for healthy kids with no classes to go to. It is (yet another) barrier to women working.

I see people touching their masks all the time. Doesn't that defeat the purpose?

I refuse to wear the useless item.

Stay safe tourist spending will drop but better to take precautions before money