Regarding the declaration of a coronavirus pandemic by the World Health Organization, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told reporters on Thursday at the Prime Minister's Office: "We would like to strengthen cooperation with the international community to respond. We'll keep on high alert and take every necessary measure without hesitation."
Meanwhile, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga stressed at a press conference on the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, "We haven't changed our mind that we'll continue to make preparations for the Games as scheduled."
A bill passed the lower house on Thursday to revise the special measures law to deal with new strains of influenza so that it will also cover the pneumonia caused by the new virus. Enacting the bill enables the declaration of a state of emergency. Suga said that issuing such a declaration is not imminent.
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