Jan 24 (Kyodo) - Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told parliament on Thursday the government will ask airlines to make announcements on flights from China urging passengers to notify cabin crew if they feel ill, as a new coronavirus continues to spread.
"We will make utmost efforts to prevent the spread of infections," Abe said.
Japanese carrier All Nippon Airways Co. said it has decided to cancel flights connecting Narita near Tokyo with the central Chinese city of Wuhan at the center of the virus outbreak for two days from Thursday, affecting around 280 passengers in total. The airline said it will decide whether to resume the flights Saturday or later depending on the situation in China.
"Over there children aren't allowed to go outside, so I'm glad we were able to return as planned," Yosuke Aoki, a 34-year-old Japanese living in Wuhan who made a trip home to Japan with his family, said at Narita airport.
China's Juneyao Airlines Co. canceled flights between Kansai airport and Wuhan on Thursday, while Spring Airlines Japan Co. flight attendants on the route have been wearing masks and distributing them to passengers since Wednesday.
Japanese health minister Katsunobu Kato said the same day that samples collected to confirm infection will be tested not only at the National Institute of Infectious Diseases but at other government-authorized clinical laboratories across the country.
The virus continues to have an impact on a wide range of industries, with a JTB Corp. group company canceling all tours with Wuhan as the departure or destination point for February and March.
