A buyer used a hand sanitizer station in the Ameya Yokocho market in Tokyo on December 30.
Photographer: Noriko Hayashi / Bloomberg
Photographer: Noriko Hayashi / Bloomberg
The central government of Japan has withheld the state of emergency in Tokyo and three adjoining prefectures, although local authorities have urged virus Tsar Yasutoshi Nishimura to do so to contain an outbreak that shows little sign of declining.
The government will consult experts again before making a decision, Nishimura said at a press conference on Saturday after a three-hour meeting with governors of Tokyo and surrounding prefectures.
“We agreed that the metropolitan area is in a serious situation to face a state of emergency,” Nishimura said. The request by the four governors will be studied, he said.
Nishimura said the central government would ask the four prefectures to stop restaurants and bars at 7pm to stop alcohol, and to close at 8pm. The government will also ask people not to go out after 8pm unless there is an urgent or urgent need, and will support stores that meet the request, he said.
Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike and the governors of Kanagawa, Chiba and Saitama addressed the request directly to Nishimura at the Cabinet Office on Saturday amid renewed records of coronavirus cases. Together, the four prefectures make up more than a quarter of the country’s gross domestic product.
“Our response measures have had some impact,” Koike said during the same press conference with reporters. “But when we look at the number of infections and the state of the health system in our four prefectures, it is immediately necessary to suppress people’s movements.”
The capital of Japan reported a record 1,337 new cases of coronavirus on New Year’s Eve, as the onset of cold weather incited infections, even after the city intensified its efforts to curb. On Saturday, the number of serious cases rose to the highest since 3 May.
Japan’s position on emergencies appears to be shifting as business rises
Japan briefly declared a state of emergency during April and May in response to the initial wave of coronavirus cases. Earlier this week, Nishimura said the country could consider an emergency if current infections continue. Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga on Thursday night broke direct questions about it in remarks to reporters.
An emergency statement enables local officials to take measures such as ordering the cancellation of events, restricting the use of facilities such as schools and movie theaters, and allocating land or buildings for temporary medical facilities.
Due to civil liberties enshrined in Japan’s post-war constitution, the government can not send police to evacuate people from the streets, as has happened in places such as France, Italy and the United Kingdom.
It does not have the legal means to force a closure in European style, and the ability to limit the spread of the virus is now in doubt. In addition, officials have avoided heavy restrictions as they try to get the country’s pandemic economy back on track.
Japan’s emergency on civilians reckons shut down
The impact of an emergency statement is probably a psychological step. Tokyo has already requested that restaurants close at 10pm, and the metropolitan government has urged people to stay home with their families during the new year break.
The government is changes to a virus management law are being considered to give more restrictions. With this amendment, Japan can penalize pubs and restaurants that do not comply with the instructions for closing prematurely. The change must be approved by parliament, which will only start later this month.
– With the help of Sophie Jackman, Max Zimmerman and Kana Nishizawa