Economic revitalization minister Yasutoshi Nishimura held a teleconference Wednesday morning with the governors of seven prefectures for which a state of emergency has been declared, discussing how to address the situation, including what kinds of businesses should be closed temporarily in response to the spread of the new coronavirus.
Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike as well as the governors of Kanagawa, Saitama, Chiba, Osaka, Hyogo and Fukuoka attended the teleconference.
The central government and the Tokyo metropolitan government are at odds over which industries should be subject to the request for closure. Those under debate are barbers and home improvement stores. They were included in the list of the metropolitan government's requests, which was compiled before the declaration, but they have been excluded from the central government's list.
"Some businesses must be open in order to maintain people's daily life. Such businesses as barbers and home improvement stores are among them," Nishimura said at the start of the meeting.
Under the government's new basic policies for novel coronavirus disease control, which were revised in line with the declaration of a state of emergency, barbers and home improvement stores are listed as sectors requiring business continuity.
"I would like you to refer to the basic policies," Nishimura said during the teleconference.
Before the conference, Koike told reporters at the metropolitan government office: "We need adjustment. We will make a decision as soon as possible in cooperation with the central government."
Tokyo will announce the details regarding the list of businesses on Friday and aims to implement the policy on the following day.
Meanwhile, the other six prefectures will not request the suspension of business operations at this stage.
Osaka Prefecture may change its measure based on developments in the number of people infected with the virus, with its governor saying that the prefecture may reconsider its handling "if it does not see any effect of people's self-restraint on going out."
Chiba Gov. Kensaku Morita told reporters after the conference: "A request for business shutdowns involves financial matters. We will consider the next step while watching the trend of people refraining from going out."
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