Expert: virus prevention must focus on communities

A health expert said on Monday that as the coronavirus enters an accelerating stage in Japan, the focus on quarantine should shift to community-based prevention.

Shigeru Omi, chief director of Japan Community Health Care Organization, believes that in Japan, as the virus enters a new stage, adaptation to response strategy must also be adjusted.

"It is just impossible to stop the transmission. But what we can do is to slow the pace, speed at which the transmission (occurs) and also ultimately reduce the number of deaths as much as possible." he said during a press conference in Tokyo.

Omi commended the Chinese government for its efforts fighting the virus, but he also said that the response to the virus in the city of Wuhan was delayed.

Japan on Monday announced another 99 infections on the Diamond Princess cruise ship that is being quarantined in the country, raising the ship's total number of cases to 454.

Overall, Japan has 419 confirmed cases of the virus, including one death.