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On February 18, 2020, the Prime Minister held the 11th meeting of the Novel Coronavirus Response Headquarters at the Prime Minister’s Office.
 
At the meeting, a discussion was held on the response to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).
 
Based on the discussion, the Prime Minister said,
 
“The first expert meeting was held the day before yesterday, and we heard from the experts on their views of the medical and scientific assessment of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).
 
Concerning the epidemiologic status in Japan, the experts were of the view that, since multiple cases in which it might be difficult to identify the respective routes of transmission have been reported, it is necessary to prepare a series of countermeasures on the premise that the number of patients will increase. In light of this, the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare yesterday announced the guidelines when to seek consultation and medical examination for the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) and asked for the cooperation of the public.
 
Moving forward, the cooperation of the public will be necessary on various occasions so as to prevent outbreak.
What I would like the public to keep in mind at first, is to refrain from going outside, taking leave from school or work, when experiencing symptoms of a cold, such as a fever. This is, of course, for the sake of yourself, but also an important action that could prevent further outbreak. To that end, we need to have the understanding of schools, workplaces, and society at large. Creating an environment that makes it easy for students and employees to take days off is crucial and I would like to ask cooperation in this regard. Making use of means like tele-working is another effective approach.
 
I ask each minister to make efforts, such as disseminating such information to the associations under your jurisdiction, so as to gain their understanding steadily, towards developing such an environment.
 
In addition, with regard to the holding of large-scale events where people have close physical contact with one another and relevant matters, I ask you to swiftly provide necessary information to the public, including those related to the necessity to reconsider the timing for holding such events, upon consulting with experts.
 
Again, I ask the public to stay calm and carry out the same preventive measures as for the typical seasonal influenza, including washing hands and observing proper coughing etiquette, in order to prevent infection. I ask, in particular, the elderly and persons with underlying conditions, to pay attention to prevention, such as by avoiding visiting sites where a lot of people may gather as much as possible.  
 
I ask you to continue to work on swift and easy-to-understand communications so as to reduce the concerns among the public and exert every effort to enhance and strengthen the structures for screening and treatment as well as consultation, towards the prevention of further outbreak in Japan.”