No. 109 Top 10 News of Inagi City in 2020

Looking back on last year, it was a year filled with the expansion and measures against COVID-19, and unfortunately, there were many unsettling news stories.
Amidst this, the JR Joban Line section between Tomioka and Namie, which had been closed due to the Great East Japan Earthquake, was reopened in March 2020, marking the full restoration of the line for the first time in nine years. In November 2020, His Imperial Highness Prince Fumihito Akishino became the first in the line of succession to the throne, and the "Ritual of the Imperial Heir" was held, which was one of the few joyful pieces of news. In sports, in February 2020, in the wheelchair singles final at the Australian Open, Shingo Kunieda won for the men and Yui Kamiji won for the women, with both Japanese players claiming victory. In September 2020, Naomi Osaka won the women's singles title at the US Open for the first time in two years, bringing us encouragement.
In relation to COVID-19, based on the notification from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology requesting nationwide school closures in March 2020, all Elementary and Junior High Schools implemented temporary closures. In the same month, the decision was made to postpone the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics by one year. On April 7, 2020, a state of emergency was declared in seven prefectures, which was expanded to the entire country on the 16th, and we were overwhelmed with responses at each stage.
In March 2020, comedian Ken Shimura passed away, in April 2020, actress Kumiko Okae passed away, and in October 2020, fashion designer Kenzo Takada passed away, which was a great shock due to the infection and death of these prominent figures.
The high school baseball spring and summer tournaments have been canceled, the professional baseball season has been postponed, the already started J-League soccer has been suspended, and the summer sumo tournament has been canceled, among other events that have been affected.
In people's lives, there has been a shift towards a "new lifestyle" that includes telecommuting and remote university classes, which we have never experienced before. It has been a year filled with stress as we adapt to these changes.
In many places abroad, the spread of COVID-19 has been far more severe than in Japan, with even UK Prime Minister Johnson and US President Trump becoming infected and hospitalized.
In January 2020, Tsai Ing-wen of the Democratic Progressive Party was re-elected in Taiwan's presidential election. In June 2020, the National Security Law to crack down on anti-government activities in Hong Kong was passed, putting China's international commitment to 'one country, two systems' in jeopardy. In November 2020, former Vice President Joe Biden of the Democratic Party won the U.S. presidential election, raising concerns about the future of the U.S.-China cold war.
Next, let's look back on a year in Inagi City.

1. Establishment of the COVID-19 Response Headquarters
   In January 2020, we established a crisis management headquarters and began our response as a city early on. With the declaration of a state of emergency in April 2020, we transitioned to the headquarters, implementing measures such as facility closures and reopenings, as well as emergency economic measures.
2. COVID-19 Response at City Hospital
   Inagi City Hospital has established a "Returnee and Contact Outpatient Clinic" and conducts PCR tests and CT imaging as administrative examinations. It has been designated as a "Key Medical Institution for Hospitalization of COVID-19" and accepts patients suspected of infections, working to prevent the spread of infection.
3. Fifth Long-Term Comprehensive Plan Basic Concept of Inagi City Submitted and Approved by the City Council
   The outline of the 10-year plan will be decided from the fiscal year 2021.
4. Third Inagi City Education Promotion Basic Plan & Third Inagi City Children's Reading Activity Promotion Plan
   Formulated as a five-year plan starting from the second year of Reiwa, in connection with the SDGs.
5. Inagi Disaster Prevention Map Revised
   Strengthened response to wind and water disasters and distributed to all households in the city.
6. The new first kitchen of the School Lunch Joint Cooking Facility has been completed
   Up to 6,500 meals can be provided per day, including meals that accommodate food allergies, and support for emergency food distribution during disasters.
7. Opening of the Parent and Child Comprehensive Support Center
   Inagi City has launched its version of Neubora to provide seamless support for parenting generations.
8. Implementation of the GIGA School Concept
   Tablets that can be used anywhere with LTE (high-speed data communication) have been distributed to one device per student at municipal Elementary and Junior High Schools.
9. Completion of part of Tama Route 7-4-5
   The section from Inagi Dai 3 Junior High School to the elevated Keio Sagamihara Line has been temporarily opened for traffic.
10. Installation of Scopedog Monument and Distribution of Gundam Manhole Cards
    As part of the Kunio Okawara Project, the Inagi City Tourism Association and the city collaborated to install a monument in Pair Park, and the city distributed a special edition of the manhole card.

The top 10 news stories of 2020 are as follows.
This year, there is a major project for the vaccination of the entire population. We will work together as a team to overcome the threat of COVID-19, but until it is contained, we ask for your continued efforts in infection prevention measures.
This year, I pray that it will be a healthy and happy year for all citizens.