The government was to add seven prefectures on Wednesday evening to the current state of emergency stemming from the spread of the novel coronavirus..
Osaka, Kyoto, Hyogo, Aichi, Gifu, Fukuoka and Tochigi prefectures will be added to the state of emergency, which will last through Feb. 7. This is the same period as for Tokyo and the three prefectures in the Tokyo metropolitan area where a state of emergency has already been declared.
The addition brings the total to 11 prefectures. The government aims to strengthen measures mainly in large urban areas.
The state of emergency is based on the law on special measures against new strains of influenza. Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga consulted with the expert Advisory Committee on Basic Action Policy on the additions Wednesday afternoon.
After informing the Diet of the plan, Suga was to formally issue a declaration at the governmental headquarters for measures against the coronavirus. After that, the prime minister was to hold his third press conference this month to call for public cooperation.
Yasutoshi Nishimura, minister in charge of economic revitalization as well as measures against the novel coronavirus, stressed the need for the additions. "There are several prefectures other than Tokyo and the three prefectures where countermeasures for Stage 4 [the most serious infection situation] have become necessary," Nishimura said at the lower house's Committee on Cabinet on Wednesday morning,
Once the state of emergency is declared, the governors of the additional prefectures can request restaurants, bars, karaoke establishments and other businesses to close at 8 p.m. Those that comply will be paid up to 60,000 yen a day as a cooperation fee.
There are no penalties under the current law for businesses that do not comply, but municipalities can publicize their names.
The government will ask such businesses to stay open until 8 p.m. and serve alcoholic beverages only until 7 p.m., the same as in the Tokyo metropolitan area. The government will also call on people to refrain from going out unless necessary and to work from home.
On Jan. 9, the governors of Osaka, Kyoto and Hyogo prefectures asked the government to add their prefectures to the current state of emergency, citing the pressure on their medical systems. On Tuesday, the governors of Aichi, Gifu and Tochigi also asked the government to include their prefectures.
The government decided to add Fukuoka Prefecture to the six prefectures that had requested inclusion, as the infection situation is worsening there.
According to data released by the Cabinet Secretariat on Tuesday, the percentage of hospital beds taken by coronavirus patients was more than 75% in Hyogo Prefecture, nearly 70% in Osaka Prefecture, and over 60% in Aichi Prefecture as of Monday, indicating that the disease is spreading.
Fukuoka Gov. Hiroshi Ogawa said at the prefectural office Wednesday morning that Nishimura had told him Tuesday that the government wanted to put Fukuoka Prefecture under the state of emergency, and that he agreed.
"We will take thorough measures during the given period and have the state of emergency lifted as soon as possible," Ogawa said.
Read more from The Japan News at https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/
