It is important to implement appropriate measures against infectious diseases in accordance with the circumstances of each region.
In response to the widespread increase in the number of people being infected with the new coronavirus, the government has expanded its declaration of a state of emergency to cover the entire nation.
The revised law concerning special measures to counter new strains of influenza has empowered each governor to implement measures to prevent the spread of infections and secure medical systems. Appropriate steps must be taken with the cooperation of local residents.
The central government has recently revised the basic policies that incorporate concrete measures to deal with the situation and added more prefectures, such as Hokkaido and Aichi, to the first seven prefectures already under a state of emergency, thus designating 13 prefectures overall as zones on special alert. These prefectures all show the traits of a high accumulated number of infections and a fast rate of increase.
The spread of infections has occurred mainly in sports clubs and nightlife districts where many hostess bars are found. Governors of the prefectures designated as special alert prefectures need to take thorough measures, such as requesting that businesses suspend operations, shorten opening hours and restrict the use of facilities.
In the remaining 34 prefectures, it is also important to reduce the number of environments that fall under the definition of the "Three Cs" -- closed spaces, crowded places and close-contact settings. Traditional regional festivals as well as meals with large crowds should be avoided.
In order to prevent the spread of the virus by people visiting other areas on trips or for tourism, it is essential to call on people to refrain from moving across prefectural borders.
Individual efforts have begun in various regions. The Gunma prefectural government has requested operators in a wide range of industry categories to suspend their businesses, citing the limited capacity of local medical systems. The Nishi-Izu municipal government in Shizuoka Prefecture has, at its own discretion, asked lodging facilities and the like to close temporarily. Meanwhile, the Yamagata prefectural government conducts temperature checks at such places as prefectural borders and train stations to prevent the inflow of infected people into the prefecture.
Local governments must closely coordinate with the central government on the subject of business suspension requests as well as on concrete measures to curb people's movements, to remain careful not to take excessive measures.
The issue is how to financially support restaurants and other businesses that have suspended their operations. The National Governors' Association has asked the central government to pay compensation to operators who close their businesses at the request of a governor.
The central government will provide 1 trillion yen in special grants to local governments. It plans to make the grants a financial source for funds paid in return for cooperation, which mainly prefectural governments will pay to operators who close their businesses when requested.
The central government also plans to establish a system of cash payouts for small and midsize companies and sole proprietors whose incomes have fallen sharply. It may be realistic to make up part of the losses by utilizing such a system.
While the central government is primarily responsible for tackling the infectious disease, it is impossible to fully rely on it to secure budgetary appropriations. Local governments should consider issuing municipal bonds and reviewing nonessential, nonurgent projects to secure their own financial resources.
-- The original Japanese article appeared in The Yomiuri Shimbun on April 21, 2020.
Read more from The Japan News at https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/
