Prime Minister Kan Yoshihide held a meeting at the Prime Minister’s residence in the afternoon of the 21st to discuss the rapidly expanding geographical scope of the new coronavirus infection and the “Go To Travel” tourism support project.
On the 20th, 2,427 people were newly infected, a record high for the third consecutive day. The governors have begun to implement measures such as refunding reservations at tourist facilities and stopping the acceptance of new travelers, and as of the 18th, the number of prefectures with a bed occupancy rate of 25% or more has reached nine, with the possibility of a medical collapse.
At the meeting, Kan said that he would suspend new travel reservations for the “Go To Travel” tourism support program to areas where the infection is spreading, among other measures.
Kan also stated that he would ask localities to stop issuing new value-added food coupons and limit the use of points in the “Go To Eat” campaign.
The Government of Japan’s Novel Coronavirus Infection Response Team will make a recommendation on the 20th, requesting the central government and prefectures to study the possibility of shortening the opening hours of restaurants for three weeks and adjusting the “Go To Campaign” in areas where the epidemic is expanding rapidly. It was requested that areas judged to be “Stage 3 (spike in infections)”, the second highest of the four levels of the epidemic, be excluded from the “Go To Travel” program. In addition, restaurants and other businesses are now offering “Go To Eat” value meal coupons equivalent to 125% of the value of the coupon purchased as part of the “Go To Travel” program, which went on sale in Tokyo on the 19th. The proposal to stop issuing new “Go To Eat” value-priced meal coupons was also included in the proposal compiled by the Strategy Group on the 20th.
These guidelines will be applied in cooperation with the governor of the prefecture, and it is hoped that people will take precautions against infections, such as wearing masks, during meals.
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