Governors Call For Continued Anti - Virus Measures
The governors of Tokyo and three surrounding prefectures say they will ask residents to keep taking steps against coronavirus infections even after Sunday when the central government is to end the current state of emergency.
The four governors, Koike Yuriko of Tokyo, Kuroiwa Yuji of Kanagawa, Ono Motohiro of Saitama and Morita Kensaku of Chiba, held a video conference on Thursday.
They agreed to ask residents to continue the current measures such as shortened business hours for restaurants, and a voluntary ban on nonessential outings until the end of this month.
Restaurants and other eateries will be asked to close by 9 p.m., one hour longer than 8 p.m. currently requested for the establishments.
The metropolitan and prefectural governments will provide 40,000 yen or about 380 dollars in daily support for businesses that comply with the request.
Event organizers will be asked to limit participants to half the venue capacity, or up to 5,000 people, and end events by 9 p.m.
Governor Koike said it is important to pay attention to a possible rebound in the number of new coronavirus cases.
She said the metropolis and the three prefectures where people move about between them need to cooperate with each other.