Japan closed its elementary, junior-high and high schools. It wants to protect children from the COVID-19 virus. Schools will stay closed until April the 8th. Parents are worried about the school closures. They have to think about how to look after their children. Grandparents will look after some children while their parents work. Many children have no grandparents or extended family nearby, so parents may have to pay for childcare fees.
Japan's schools shut after a meeting of an anti-virus task force. Japan wants to lower the risk of children getting infected. The next two weeks are important to stop the virus spreading. The government will ask companies to help parents take time off work to look after children. An angry mother said it was not OK to leave children at home alone. She asked: "What's the point of closing schools if parents are still [going to work] in packed trains?"