Japanese authorities are stepping up efforts to contain the spread of the COVID-19, especially in the northernmost prefecture of Hokkaido where most confirmed cases were reported. Hokkaido should still be in the tourist season in March, just like previous years. The epidemic has, however, turned the city of Sapporo into a rather quiet place. As of Tuesday, over 1,000 people in Hokkaido have been tested for the virus, compared with less than 10,000 in the whole country. Fortunately, the latest information proves the epidemic has not broken out on a large scale in the country yet, but is likely to linger on for some time.