A government panel of experts tasked with guiding the nation's fight against the new coronavirus compiled a package of recommendations on Wednesday that call on the public to reinforce their efforts to reduce person-to-person contact and refrain from leaving their homes, including during the upcoming Golden Week holidays.
The recommendations urged people to help achieve the target of reducing people-to-people contact by 80% to stop the spread of the virus. At the Novel Coronavirus Response Headquarters later that day, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Japan was now facing "an extremely important period" for determining whether the state of emergency could be lifted as soon as possible and he urged the public to cooperate to attain the 80% reduction.
The panel presented the recommendations amid mounting concern that the virus could spread further if people go on trips or return to their hometowns during the long Golden Week holiday in late April and early May. The panel said events and venues where crowds assemble need to be avoided even more strictly than before and listed 10 main points to cut direct contact with people by 80%, such as holding drinking parties online.
The panel called for steps to prevent infections spreading at supermarkets and shopping districts, where the number of customers has increased, even during times when authorities have asked residents to avoid nonessential outings. The proposals included restricting entry during the busier times of the day and introducing a one-way flow of customers. Other recommendations included devising ways for people to use parks without coming into close contact with others.
The state of emergency will remain in effect until May 6, but the panel indicated some steps that could be taken in anticipation of the outbreak continuing for a prolonged period of time. The panel referred to examples set by China and Singapore, which are trying to prevent a second wave of the outbreak by keeping gyms, live music venues and bars and clubs where clients are entertained at night closed, even after bans on going outside and other restrictions on movement were lifted. The panel said it was "possible" people might continue to be asked to refrain from holding events that would attract people from different regions, and from operating in poorly ventilated or crowded places that would put people in close contact with one another.
Tuesday will mark three weeks since the state of emergency was initially declared for seven prefectures, and April 30 will mark two weeks since the declaration was expanded nationwide. The government will carefully decide whether to lift or extend the declaration after receiving an expert analysis on factors including the extent of infection across Japan.
"We will get experts to assess the situation as close to May 6 as we possibly can," Economic Revitalization Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura said to reporters on Wednesday. Nishimura indicated the government's decision on the declaration would be made in early May -- during the Golden Week break. The decision would be made after the prime minister consults with an advisory council on the basic plan for handling the outbreak.
The government panel of experts is chaired by Takaji Wakita, head of the National Institute of Infectious Diseases.
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