Breaking News English

Japan and Hong Kong have [closed / closeted] their elementary, junior-high and high schools until April. Governments say they want to [protective / protect] children from the COVID-19 coronavirus. Schools in Japan will remain [closure / closed] until April the 8th, which is the [begin / start] of the new school year. Children in Hong Kong will return [to / at] school on April the 20th at the [earliest / early] . Parents are now worried about the school closures. Working parents have to think about [how / what] to care for younger children. Grandparents will look [before / after] many children while their parents go to work. However, many children have [no / none] grandparents or extended family who live nearby. Parents may have to pay for expensive childcare [fee / fees] .

Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe [shut / shutter] the country's schools after a meeting of Japan's anti-virus task [farce / force] . He said the next two weeks are [critical / critically] to control the spread of COVID-19. He wants to "stem the [risky / risk] of many children and teachers becoming [infection / infected] through gathering for long hours every day". The government said it would [urge / purge] public services and private companies to make it easier for people to take time off work to look [before / after] their children. An angry mother said: "I [wander / wonder] if the government thinks it is OK to leave children at home [alone / lone] for long hours." She asked: "What's the point of closing schools if parents are still [commuting / computing] in packed trains in which passengers may have COVID-19?"