All networks and national dailies except Nikkei gave top play to reports on a press conference by Tokyo Governor Koike last night at which she said that Tokyo is facing the risk of an explosive spread of COVID-19 infections and urged residents to stay home this coming weekend, work from home on weekdays as much as possible, and refrain from going out at night. The networks said 41 cases were confirmed in Tokyo on Wednesday, the largest one-day spike the prefecture has seen so far. Several networks showed people in Tokyo flocking to supermarkets to stock up on supplies in the wake of Koike’s press conference.

Nikkei led with a report on a plan under consideration by the Japanese government to provide cash allowances to households whose income has declined due to the coronavirus epidemic as part of its emergency economic package.