No.113 Third State of Emergency Declaration

On April 23, 2021, the government decided to issue a state of emergency for the four prefectures of Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, and Hyogo, which was implemented from April 25, 2021.

In Tokyo, the first state of emergency was declared for 49 days from April 7, 2020, to May 25, 2020, and the second state of emergency was declared for 73 days from January 8, 2021, to March 21, 2021, making this the third declaration.
This announcement was sudden, and the city discussed the response on Friday, April 23, 2021, but since the details were not clear until late at night, a part of the web conference was used to hold the city response headquarters on Saturday, April 24, 2021, to discuss and decide on the response.

Information regarding the suspension, postponement, or changes of individual facilities and projects is communicated through various methods, including postings on the Inagi City Website, distribution via the Inagi City email service, notices at the facilities, and individual notifications.
We apologize for the inconvenience caused to the citizens, such as the closure of the Comprehensive Gymnasium and Health Plaza, and the suspension of general access to the Inagi Fureai Forest. However, since the previous state of emergency declaration was lifted on March 21, 2021, not all operations have fully returned to normal, and some measures, such as reduced hours, continue due to gradual easing. Therefore, there are not many significant changes compared to before the declaration.

During the first state of emergency declaration last year, we implemented measures such as temporary school closures for elementary and junior high schools and requests for reduced attendance at nursery schools and the After-School Childcare Program. However, at this time, we have decided to continue classes and childcare while thoroughly implementing infection prevention measures. In responding to this situation, we are of course adhering to the requests from the government and Tokyo Metropolitan Government, while also considering ways to minimize the impact on citizens' lives as much as possible.

The purpose of this emergency declaration is to stop the "flow of people" during the Golden Week by implementing a wide range of requests for business closures. Regarding the duration, there are opinions calling for longer measures and those who do not wish for further prolongation. Prime Minister Suga has explained that "as a short-term concentrated measure, we will take strong actions to temporarily stop the flow of people."
Japan cannot impose strict restrictions on private rights like in Europe and the United States under the current legal system, but this time the measures have become stronger than ever, to the extent that they are referred to as a "mini-lockdown."
What is needed now is to buy time while suppressing the spread of COVID-19 variants, as they are on the rise, and to connect this to the timing of full-scale vaccination.

Although the second long-term state of emergency has finally been lifted for the citizens, it is regrettable that we have now entered the third state of emergency while still in the process of gradual relaxation measures. It feels as if we are going backward, and I share this disappointment.
I can only hope that by the time you see this column, the state of emergency will have been lifted. I sincerely apologize for the various inconveniences caused to the citizens.
We will do our utmost to ensure that the citizens can regain the time when they can live happily and healthily as soon as possible, so we ask for your understanding and cooperation in our efforts for vaccination.