U.S. Embassy in Japan urges citizens against potential surge in coronavirus

The United States on Friday urged its citizens in Japan to take action against a potential imminent surge in coronavirus cases there, saying they should either return home now or be prepared to remain abroad for an indefinite period.

"If U.S. citizens wish to return to the United States, they should make arrangements to do so now," the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo said on its website. "The Japanese Government's decision to not test broadly makes it difficult to accurately assess the COVID-19 prevalence rate," it said, referring to the respiratory illness caused by the coronavirus. (Writing by David Dolan; Editing by Alex Richardson)