In preparation for the central government's declaration of a state of emergency, the Tokyo metropolitan government has compiled draft response measures calling on a wide range of businesses to close, while also stressing its intention to maintain such functions as public transportation systems.
The measures reflect the metropolitan government's urgent desire to stem the spread of infections with the new coronavirus and avert panic among Tokyo residents.
Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike held a press conference Monday night and asked Tokyoites for their cooperation under a state of emergency. "We want to get through this national crisis together. I want to protect the capital of Tokyo," Koike said.
The metropolitan government is considering asking for the closure of a wide range of facilities, ranging from movie theaters, sports clubs and venues for live music to barber shops and karaoke parlors. The measure would extensively cover places where the so-called "Three Cs" are likely to be seen -- closed places with poor ventilation, crowded places and conversations in close proximity.
The measures "reflect Gov. Koike's intention to contain the spread of infections by all means possible," a senior metropolitan government official said.
Infection routes untraceable
The metropolitan government is prioritizing taking steps regarding nightlife districts.
Koike has called for people to refrain from going out at night. Among facilities subject to the request for closures, she intends to make a particularly strong request for places such as nightclubs and bars to shut their doors.
The metropolitan government plans to request restaurants and other eateries to shorten their business hours at night and on weekends, while continuing to operate in principle. However, it is considering going a step further with izakaya bars, which operate for extended hours compared with other eateries, and asking them to close entirely.
Behind this is the metropolitan government's wariness regarding cases in which people infected with the virus in nightlife districts do not cooperate with investigations to trace the infection routes, according to a senior metropolitan government official.
At the same time, Tokyo is making arrangements to provide financial aid for small store operators who comply with the request for closures or shorter business hours. It intends to make the closure request workable with such aid, which will effectively serve as compensation.
Efforts to avoid panic
Thorough efforts are also being made to avoid panic.
The metropolitan government intends to maintain bus, railway and other public transportation services, and to exclude shopping for food, visiting hospitals and commuting for work from its request that people refrain from going out.
Railway services are a particularly important transport network used by people including medical service workers. Measures to limit services might be implemented, but a source close to a railway company said, "Trains will be more crowded if services are reduced."
In light of this, Japan Railway companies and Tokyo Metro Co. intend to maintain their current operations for now.
Infections more than double
In Tokyo, the total number of people infected with the virus topped 1,100 on Monday, 2.5 times the level seen a week before. There have been many cases in which the infection route could not be traced, making tracking difficult.
In the past few days, infections have risen sharply among young people. Among 603 people who tested positive from March 30 to Sunday, more than half were in their 20 to 40s. In addition, infection routes could not be identified for more than 60 percent of the people whose infection was confirmed from Friday to Sunday. Public health centers have a staff shortage and so cannot manage to keep up with the need to trace infection routes.
"Public health centers have also been inundated with inquiries from Tokyo residents, and the people in the field are exhausted," a senior metropolitan government said.
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