Toshiba Suspends Operations in Japan Due to Coronavirus

Toshiba Suspends Operations in Japan Due to Coronavirus

Japan-based Toshiba has suspended operations at all its offices and factories in Japan, in principle, to prevent coronavirus infections.

Its plans to not reopen until May 6, 2020 impacts all 76,000 employees in the Toshiba group. The period of closure includes several national holidays. The company will move days off planned for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games to enable the long business closure. The Tokyo Games have been postponed for about a year due to the pandemic.

According to NHK Japan officials say the group will carry out maintenance work on infrastructures, such as power supply, railways and elevators, if necessary.

Toshiba has had employees work from home, except for factory workers, but it believes further efforts are necessary to help contain the virus.

Japan’s Prime Minister Abe Shinzo (pictured) is seeking more cooperation from the public to avoid close contact with others to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus.

Abe spoke to reporters on Tuesday, two weeks after he declared a state of emergency in Tokyo and six prefectures. The state of emergency was later expanded to cover the entire nation.

Abe said he is grateful to those who have been cooperating and staying at home. But he said a fairly large number of people left Tokyo over the weekend for rural destinations.

He said the string of holidays from the end of April to early May is approaching, and that poses a risk of the further spread of the virus. He asked people to refrain from taking trips or going afar.
Abe said the nation’s healthcare system is very strained, and in order to ease the burden and protect peoples’ lives, he would like more cooperation to achieve the goal of reducing contact between people by 80 percent.

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Comments: How well do you think Japan is handling the crisis and is the action by Toshiba Suspends its Operations in Japan due to Coronavirus in line with your expectations?