For this third pandemic-related state of emergency, the Tokyo metropolitan government is requesting a wide range of businesses to temporarily close, leading to many inquiries about the details.
Tokyo has unveiled a list of the types of businesses covered by the request, but many people complained that the categorizations were difficult to understand when they called into a telephone consultation hotline on Saturday, the day before the emergency took effect.
The metropolitan government, in line with the policy of the central government, is requesting facilities such as bars and karaoke establishments and commercial facilities with floor space over 1,000 square meters to temporarily close their businesses.
The request is based on the revised special measures law against new strains of influenza. For dining and drinking establishments, if operators do not comply, prefectural governors can issue orders to do so and impose fines.
Separately from this request, the metropolitan government's own measure also asks small and midsize business facilities with floor space of 1,000 square meters or less to temporarily close.
The request does not apply to facilities that sell food or other essentials, such as supermarkets, convenience stores and home improvement retailers. Hotels and transportation services are also exempt.
The metropolitan government requests theme parks, amusement parks, theaters and entertainment venues to refrain from letting in ordinary spectators. But the request to these facilities is categorized as holding events without spectators, because they can be used for film or photo shoots, event streaming and rehearsals.
The categories are difficult to comprehend in some cases, such as secondhand bookstores being requested to close, but regular bookstores being exempt.
"We are improving our preparedness and making efforts to resolve the questions from business operators," said a metropolitan government official.
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