West Japan Railway Co. said. Wednesday said it will put part of its staff on temporary leave in February, targeting 27,500 employees to deal with a decline in travel demand due to coronavirus infection.
The company called JR West, which operates shinkansen bullet train services in some areas, said about 1,000 workers a day will be on leave between February 1 and February 28. The measure is the second largest. of sorts for the Osaka-based train operator and the number of workers affected is greater than last time when around 18,000 was targeted.
An employee will show the media how to spray anti-virus liquid on a JR train car in Osaka on May 22, 2020. West Japan Railway Co. expects to do so on all its trains amid ongoing concerns about the new coronavirus, starting in June. (Kyodo) == Kyodo
The train operator said it is trying to maintain employment while reducing the risk of coronavirus infections among staff.
Travel demand has been met with the release of the novel coronavirus, with the central government announcing a new state of emergency until February 7 for 11 of the country ‘s 47 prefectures as the country scrambles to prevent coronavirus infections. Tha Central Japan Railway Co. also expects about 9,500 employees to take several days off between January 25 and the end of February.
Between January 1 and 14, JR West saw passenger numbers using its Hokuriku and Sanyo Shinkansen lines fall by about 70 percent from a year ago.
Although hard locks have not been similar to those in countries hard-hit by the virus, people in the targeted prefectures are being asked to stay home. The administration of Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga had to suspend its subsidy program to support local tourism.
The first state of emergency in Japan over the virus was triggered last spring and JR West used the same procedure between May and July. At the time, railway maintenance workers were not subject to the measure.
