Prime Minister Shinzo Abe sent shock waves across Japan last week with his decision to close schools to slow the spread of COVID-19. This abrupt decision drew fire from many schools, teachers and parents since it was announced with little preparation.
Although opinion is divided over the move, one thing is clear. The prime minister's announcement sharply increased the public's sense of urgency. The only effective way at the moment to prevent the spread of this novel coronavirus is decrease personal contact among people and to increase personal hygiene, such as hand-washing. Abe is now even considering enacting a special emergency law to help tackle the crisis. More people are coming to realize that the risk of infection is rising in local communities across the nation.
One welcome by-product of the crisis is that work-style reform is getting a much-needed boost because more companies are encouraging their employees to telework. This presents a great opportunity to change the nation's archaic corporate culture, which demands high loyalty and long working hours from workers. If telecommuting becomes the norm, employees will be able spend much more time with their families and, most importantly, fathers will be able to spend more time participating in child care.