震災追悼式、中止で調整　４日にも最終決断―政府

　政府は３日、東日本大震災から９年となる１１日に東京都内で予定している政府主催の追悼式について、中止する方向で調整に入った。新型コロナウイルスの感染が広がっていることを重視した。被災地の反応などを見極め、４日にも最終決断する。複数の政府関係者が明らかにした。
　政府内には一般の参列者の出席を断るなど、規模を大幅に縮小して式典を行う案も残っている。中止する場合は安倍晋三首相が追悼のメッセージを読み上げるなど代替策を検討する。（2020/03/03-23:34）

The Japanese government is considering canceling this year's memorial ceremony for the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami due to the spread of the coronavirus, informed sources said Tuesday.
   A final decision will be made as early as Wednesday, the sources said. The ceremony is scheduled to take place in Tokyo on March 11, which marks the ninth year since the disaster.
   There is still an option of holding the ceremony, though on a limited scale without participation from the public, the sources said.
   If the government chooses to cancel the ceremony, it will consider alternatives such as having Prime Minister Shinzo Abe read a memorial address, the sources said.
   A panel of experts commissioned by the government to discuss ways to contain the spread of the virus has called for avoiding gatherings in poorly ventilated spaces.