As schools in more than 100 countries remain shut down across the globe because of the coronavirus outbreak, many classrooms in Japan are getting ready to reopen.
Japanese Prime Minister Abe Shinzo ordered the country's education ministry to come up with a plan for schools to welcome students for the new academic year, which will start in April.
The virus prompted Abe to ask Japanese schools to close in late February, affecting an estimated 13 million students.
The coronavirus has killed at least 42 people in Japan and infected more than 1,700, including hundreds from the Diamond Princess cruise ship.
A panel of public health experts suggested Thursday that schools in Japan could start to reopen. But it said people should still avoid gathering in large groups to keep the outbreak from spreading further.
