The government on Friday lifted its request to refrain from traveling across prefectural borders and holding events with about 1,000 people, measures that had been taken to prevent novel coronavirus infections.
The government intends to ease restrictions on social and economic activities in stages. Efforts to explore a "new normal" by striking a balance between resuming activities and preventing infections are now underway.
At a press conference on Friday, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said: "[The government] intends to expand social and economic activities in stages while managing the risk of infections. We want to ask people for understanding and cooperation to act in line with this policy."
After lifting the national state of emergency fully on May 25, the government set a "transition period" through the end of July. Every three weeks or so, it lowers the level of restrictions in a phased manner, urging people to resume social and economic activities gradually. In line with this, some restrictions were lifted Friday.
Specifically, a government request to avoid travel to and from Hokkaido as well as Tokyo and three prefectures in the greater metropolitan area was removed, enabling people to make cross-prefectural trips freely nationwide. In the tourism sector, it is becoming possible for business operators to gradually target travelers from outside their prefectures.
Regarding events for which capacity was limited to 100 for indoor venues and 200 for outdoor venues, the cap is now relaxed to allow up to 1,000 people both indoors and outdoors. In addition, events can also be held on the condition that they will be kept below 50% of venue capacity. Eating and drinking establishments where workers are in close contact with customers, and live music venues, are no longer requested to stay closed, as long as they comply with their industry's guidelines to prevent infections.
A number of infections have been reported since the state of emergency was lifted. On Thursday, 70 people were newly confirmed to be infected nationwide.
Regarding such infections, Yasutoshi Nishimura, economic revitalization minister who is also in charge of responses to the coronavirus, told reporters Friday in Tokyo, "We want to see this matter in a positive light, as the result of having conducted more PCR [polymerase chain reaction] tests to prevent secondary infections."
The government has been reluctant to take strict measures such as requesting that the public once again exercise self-restraint, as it aims to coexist with the virus.
From July 10, when the government intends to enter the next phase, it envisages that limits on events, including pro sports events, will be eased to allow up to 5,000 people, and that the limit will be eliminated in August. However, the request to keep the number of people below 50% of venue capacities will remain for indoor events. People such as those in the theater industry are calling for further easing. The government plans to hold a meeting of experts soon and make a decision on this matter by early July.
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