A buyer is using a hand sanitizer at Tokyo’s Ameya Yokocho Market on December 30.
Photographer: Noriko Hayashi / Bloomberg
Photographer: Noriko Hayashi / Bloomberg
The central government of Japan has given up declaring a state of emergency in Tokyo and three adjacent prefectures, despite local authorities urging Tsar Yasutoshi Nishimura to do so to contain an outbreak that shows little sign of diminishing.
The government will consult with experts again before making a decision, Nishimura told a news conference on Saturday after a three-hour meeting with Tokyo governors and surrounding prefectures.
“We have agreed that the metropolitan area is in a sufficiently severe situation to bring to light the state of emergency,” Nishimura said. The request of the four governors will be studied, he said.
Nishimura said the central government will ask the four prefectures to ask restaurants and bars to stop serving alcohol at 7pm and close at 8pm The government will also ask people not to go out after 8pm unless there is an essential or urgent need and it will support stores that meet the demand, he said.
Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike and the governors of Kanagawa, Chiba and Saitama made the request directly to Nishimura on Saturday at the cabinet office, amid renewed records of coronavirus cases. Together, the four prefectures account for more than a quarter of the country’s gross domestic product.
“Our response measures have had some impact,” Koike told reporters at the same news conference. But looking at the number of infections and the state of the health system in our four prefectures, there is an immediate need 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 fueled infections even after the city stepped up its isolation efforts. On Saturday, the number of serious cases rose to its highest since May 3.
Japan’s position against emergencies seems to change as cases increase
Japan briefly adopted a state of emergency in April and May in response to the initial wave of coronavirus cases. Earlier this week, Nishimura said the country could consider an emergency if the infections continue at the current rate. Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga passed direct questions about this on Thursday night in remarks to reporters.
A declaration of urgency allows local officials to take measures such as ordering the cancellation of events, restricting the use of facilities such as schools and cinemas, and appropriating land or buildings for temporary medical facilities.
Due to the civil liberties enshrined in the post-war Japanese constitution, the government cannot send police to remove people from the streets, as has happened in places such as France, Italy and the United Kingdom.
It lacks the legal means to force a European-style blockade, and its ability to control the spread of the virus without one being now called into question. In addition, officials have avoided heavy restrictions while trying to get back on track with the pandemic-affected economy.
The emergency situation of the Japanese virus counts on the citizens to block
The impact of any statement of urgency is probably a psychological move. Tokyo has already called for the restaurants to close at 10pm, and the metropolitan government has asked people to stay home with their families during the New Year holidays.
The government is considering amendments to a virus management law to give more power to isolation measures. This amendment would allow Japan to penalize bars and restaurants that do not follow early closure instructions. The change should be approved by parliament, which will start only later this month.
– With the assistance of Sophie Jackman, Max Zimmerman and Kana Nishizawa