Japan is to ask all schools to close from Monday to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, PM Shinzo Abe says.
The closure – thought to affect 13 million students – will continue until the school year ends in late March.
World Health Organization head Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus said the global outbreak had now reached a “decisive point” and had “pandemic potential”.
For the second day running, more cases have been reported outside than inside China.
Dr Tedros urged governments to act swiftly and aggressively to contain the virus.
“This is not a time for fear. This is a time for taking action to prevent infection and save lives now,” he said.
