The government is expected to make an official decision on Friday to apply emergency-level priority measures to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus in Saitama, Chiba, Kanagawa and Aichi prefectures, effective from April 20 to May 11.
The move would expand the number of prefectures with priority measures -- a step below the declaration of a full-fledged state of emergency -- to a total of 10, including Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto. If greenlighted, the measures would enable the governors of the four new prefectures to request or order restaurants and similar establishments to close at 8 p.m. in the interest of preventing further transmission of the virus.
This round of priority measures would apply to the two cities of Saitama and Kawaguchi in Saitama Prefecture, the five cities of Ichikawa, Funabashi, Matsudo, Kashiwa and Urayasu in Chiba Prefecture, the three cities of Yokohama, Kawasaki and Sagamihara in Kanagawa Prefecture, and Nagoya in Aichi Prefecture.
Eateries in these municipalities that comply with the request for shortened operating hours will be granted "cooperation money" subsidies, determined in proportion to the business' sales volume. Local governments are expected to strengthen patrols to encourage compliance at eateries and similar establishments while also promoting PCR testing at care facilities for the elderly. The maximum number of spectators at large-scale events in these prefectures will be capped at 5,000.
The spread of highly infectious coronavirus variants across Japan has put the government on high alert. At a panel meeting held on the same day, Yasutoshi Nishimura, minister in charge of economic revitalization and the nation's pandemic response, said, "It is estimated that variants will come to almost completely replace the original virus in the Tokyo metropolitan area, the Kansai region, and the Chukyo region in May. We must respond with the utmost vigilance."
An uptick in variants has been observed in Aichi Prefecture. The number of new infections with variants has also been on the rise in Saitama, Chiba and Kanagawa, especially in areas close to the border with Tokyo, where priority measures have already been applied.
Priority measures went into effect in Osaka, Hyogo and Miyagi prefectures on April 5, followed by Tokyo, Kyoto and Okinawa prefectures on April 12.
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