The government's coronavirus task force has proposed specific measures to increase the effectiveness of the expected state of emergency, including aiming for 70% telework, especially at large companies, and thoroughly reducing hours at restaurants.
The proposals were made Tuesday, with a declaration believed to be imminent for Tokyo and the prefectures of Saitama, Chiba and Kanagawa.
Infections in the four prefectures are in the most serious Stage 4, according to the task force. It said that if the situation is not brought under control, "there is a risk of the virus rapidly spreading throughout the country."
Therefore, the task force deemed it appropriate to declare a state of emergency to strengthen infection control measures in the Tokyo metropolitan area in a concentrated period of time and swiftly send the number of infections in the region downward.
The proposals also stipulated that measures against the coronavirus should be scaled down gradually, even after the state of emergency is lifted.
Task force chairman Shigeru Omi said at a press conference Tuesday night: "There is no guarantee declaring a state of emergency will bring down infections, and it will be extremely difficult to do so in less than a month. Its success or failure depends on whether people consider this to be their problem too and act accordingly."
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