The daily business briefing: February 5, 2020

Japan quarantines a cruise ship over coronavirus concerns, Macy's says it's closing 125 stores, and more

A possible coronavirus patient
(Image credit: KAZUHIRO NOGI/AFP via Getty Images)

1. Japan quarantines cruise ship over coronavirus concerns

Japan has quarantined a cruise ship with 3,711 people on board after a man was diagnosed with coronavirus after leaving the vessel in Hong Kong, Japanese authorities said Wednesday. Health Minister Katsunobu Kato said the people on the ship could be quarantined for up to 14 days under Japanese law pending tests on 273 people who showed symptoms of the virus, or had contact with the infected man. About 3,600 people on another cruise ship were undergoing screening in Hong Kong after three passengers were diagnosed with the rapidly spreading virus. Hong Kong announced Wednesday that it would quarantine people arriving from mainland China for up to 14 days, after thousands of Hong Kong hospital workers went on strike calling for closing the border with mainland China, where the outbreak is concentrated.

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Harold Maass, The Week US

Harold Maass is a contributing editor at The Week. He has been writing for The Week since the 2001 debut of the U.S. print edition and served as editor of TheWeek.com when it launched in 2008. Harold started his career as a newspaper reporter in South Florida and Haiti. He has previously worked for a variety of news outlets, including The Miami Herald, ABC News and Fox News, and for several years wrote a daily roundup of financial news for The Week and Yahoo Finance.