Japan declares state of emergency over coronavirus www.theguardian.com

Japan’s prime minister, Shinzo Abe, has declared a month-long state of emergency in response to the coronavirus pandemic, and unveiled a record stimulus package aimed at steering the world’s third-largest economy through its biggest crisis since the war.
He called on non-essential workers to work from home and for companies to stagger shifts for employees who cannot remotely.
Nationwide, Japan has 3,906 confirmed cases, as well as a 712 from a cruise ship quarantined at Yokohama port near Tokyo, with 91 deaths.
Abe’s apparent reluctance to implement tougher measures earlier in the crisis had drawn criticism from the Japan Medical Association and several local leaders.
Hours before the state of emergency was made official, the hashtag “escape from Tokyo” began trending on social media, triggering calls for residents to stay put.