It is only natural for the government to change its policy flexibly depending on the status of novel coronavirus infections. Every possible measure should be taken to prevent confusion from spreading.
The government has announced revised measures for the operations of its "Go To" campaigns to stimulate demand.
The government has decided to suspend subsidies for trip bookings to destinations with infection spikes under the Go To Travel domestic tourism promotion campaign, including pre-booked trips. The cities of Sapporo and Osaka will be excluded from the campaign until Dec. 15.
Hospital bed utilization rates and the percentage of patients whose routes of infection are unknown have been rising in Tokyo and other urban areas, leading some experts to believe that the infection alert status is approaching Stage 3, the second most severe level.
While it is necessary to balance economic activities and infection prevention measures, now is the time to shift the emphasis to curbing the spread of infections. It is important for the government to send a strong message to the people and call for their cooperation.
The government intends to continue offering discounts for travel from regions where infections are expanding. It seems that the government is concerned that if urban residents refrain from traveling, the campaign could lose its effectiveness.
However, with the possibility that infections could spread in regional areas, there are fears that the move could impede a swift economic recovery. If infections continue to surge, it will be essential to flexibly revise the operations of the campaign.
Regarding the Go To Eat campaign to support eating and drinking establishments, the central government has called on prefectural governors to ask businesses to stop issuing discount vouchers for meals and residents to refrain from using the point-based reward system.
Various decisions concerning the Go To Travel and Eat campaigns are being left to the governors. It is important for the central and local governments to closely cooperate and deal effectively with the issues, taking into consideration actual situations. The central government needs to present concrete guidelines for that purpose.
It is also feared that traditional ryokan inns, restaurants and other businesses will be flooded with cancellations as a result of the latest campaign revisions. Through the cooperation of the public and private sectors, attention must be paid to prevent problems from occurring in the systems of online travel reservation sites and other services.
The central government plans to allocate additional extraordinary subsidies so that local governments can urge businesses to shorten their operating hours. It should also use the reserve funds earmarked in the two supplementary budgets this fiscal year to shore up local government finances.
Economic revitalization minister Yasutoshi Nishimura, who also is in charge of the coronavirus response, said "only god knows" what will happen, concerning the infection status going forward. Even though the future is uncertain, his remarks could be considered careless.
It is important for Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga to clearly present future coronavirus measures and gain the public's understanding ahead of the year-end and New Year period, when many people will be on the move.
-- The original Japanese article appeared in The Yomiuri Shimbun on Nov. 25, 2020.
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