Japan advisors seek guidelines to support economy while countering virus

Japan's government advisers proposed on Friday drawing up basic guidelines to support economic activity while preventing the coronavirus from spreading, as part of the nation's preparations for any new wave of the disease.

Private-sector members of the Council on Economic and Fiscal Policy, the government's top advisory panel, said the government should press on with a campaign to help tourism, restaurant, and entertainment businesses hit hard by the epidemic.

They said the government needed to pay attention to economic growth, the jobless rate, and fiscal debts as it took necessary steps to deal with the outbreak.