Japanese Emperor's UK visit postponed due to COVID-19 outbreak: Buckingham Palace

The state visit of the Japanese Emperor and Empress to the United Kingdom has been postponed in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak. Buckingham Palace in a press release on March 18 informed that the state visit of the Japanese Emperor Naruhito has been called off after consultation with the government of the United Kingdom and Japan. The state visit will be rescheduled at a later date. 

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The press release read, "After consultation with Her Majesty’s Government and the Government of Japan, Her Majesty The Queen has agreed that, in the current circumstances, the planned State Visit to the United Kingdom in Spring 2020 by Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress of Japan should be postponed."

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The United Kingdom has so far recorded 2,626 cases of coronavirus, of which 65 patients have recovered fully. According to data acquired by worldometer, the United Kingdom has logged in 104 deaths since the virus first broke out in December last year. The total number of active cases in the country is above 2,400 of which 20 patients remain under critical condition. 

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Over 9,200 deaths across the world

The COVID-19 has claimed more than 9,200 lives across the world and has infected over 2,25,000 people globally since it first broke out in December 2019. China is the most affected country in the world as experts believe that the virus originated from a seafood market in Wuhan city, the epicentre of the disease, where animals were reportedly being traded illegally. Iran is also highly affected as it became the third country after China and Italy to record more than 1,000 deaths. 

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Earlier, health experts had indicated that the vaccine could take at least a year to develop. However, the United States had begun the human trials of the vaccine to treat coronavirus patients. Many countries have locked down their borders to prevent the spread which has caused serious concerns among economists, who say it could lead to a global recession.