The six governors of Tokyo and five other prefectures that are -- or soon will be -- under a state of emergency will have the authority to make their own cooperation requests to business operators starting Wednesday, when the extension period begins, according to the government's new policy.
The government decided Friday to extend the coronavirus state of emergency declaration in Tokyo, Osaka, Hyogo and Kyoto prefectures until the end of this month, and expand the emergency declaration to include Aichi and Fukuoka prefectures from Wednesday.
The Tokyo metropolitan government and the Osaka prefectural government will continue to request commercial facilities such as department stores and shopping centers with a floor area of more than 1,000 square meters (excluding those selling daily necessities) and amusement facilities such as game arcades and pachinko parlors to close after Wednesday, based on the special measures law against new strains of influenza.
Tokyo will also continue to ask small and midsize facilities with floor space of 1,000 square meters or less to cooperate in the closures, which it has been doing as its own measure.
Hyogo and Kyoto prefectures will ask businesses to close by 7 p.m. on weekdays and to fully close on weekends.
The handling of attendance at public events will vary among different prefectures.
Tokyo, Hyogo and Kyoto will allow spectators at events as long as the number is within 5,000 people and less than 50% of a venue's capacity, in line with the central government guidelines. They will request that events finish by 9 p.m.
The Osaka prefectural government, however, will continue its policy of events not allowing spectators.
Osaka Gov. Hirofumi Yoshimura said Friday: "The [daily] number of infected people has exceeded 1,000, and the medical system is tight to the limit. We have no choice but to ask people to take strong measures without loosening their grip."
The Aichi and Fukuoka prefectural governments are urging businesses to take measures in accordance with the government's guidelines.
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