Canon Inc. on Tuesday announced it is closing down its Tokyo headquarters and four offices in Kawasaki from April 7 due to the spread of the novel coronavirus in the metropolitan area. The headquarters normally has around 6,000 employees onsite. The company said priorities are to protect the health of employees and their families.
"Amid this situation, our highest priorities are to protect the health of our employees and their families, neighboring families and businesses, as well as customers and business partners, and to help prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus," Cannon said.
"This temporary suspension of operations has been enacted for reasons of health and safety, and to help prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus. There have been no infections among employees at any of the above offices," it added.
"We sincerely apologize for any difficulties caused to our customers and business partners as a result of this decision, and greatly appreciate your understanding. We will continue to respond to the changing situation, maintaining as our highest priorities the protection the health of our employees and their families, neighboring families and businesses, customers and business partners, and to help prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus. We will review and revise our response as the situation evolves,' it further added.
The Kawasaki offices engage in research and development. Almost all employees will not be working during this period, the maker of cameras and office equipment said. A minimum number of workers needed to continue business will work from home.
Hitachi Ltd. said around 50,000 of its employees in Tokyo will continue to work from home.
Employees in other areas will also work from home if asked to do so by local authorities, the electronics and heavy machinery company said.
Olympus Corp. will extend its work-from-home period to May 1 for some 8,000 group workers in Tokyo. The measure will expand to include Hokkaido as well as Osaka, Kyoto, Saitama, Kanagawa, Chiba, Aichi, Nara and Fukuoka prefectures, the camera and medical device company said.
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