Message by Governor Kuroiwa(英語)

Message by Governor Kuroiwa 

Two weeks have passed since the priority measures for prevention of COVID-19 infection were applied to Kanagawa Prefecture. Let me express my deep gratitude to many of the prefectural citizens and business operators for following our requests to avoid outings and shorten business hours during the Golden Week holidays.

The number of people who were seen in leisure spots during the GW holidays declined from that before the recent surge in infections. However, compared to the last year’s GW, we saw a much larger turnout this year. The number of new cases has been over 200 for consecutive days though rapid expansion has been contained.  Indexes for the state of infection exceed the Stage III standard. More contagious variants are spreading, too.　Because of these circumstances, we are not able to ease the countermeasures right now.

Against this background, the national government decided to extend the period of priority measures for infection prevention applied to Kanagawa to the end of May yesterday. It gives me pain to impose a further burden on you, but in order to prevent explosive spread of infections and repeated declaration of a state of emergency, please accept the following requests.

 

[To business operators]

• From May 12, six cities of Yokosuka, Fujisawa, Chigasaki, Zushi, Miura and Isehara and two towns of Hayama and Samukawa are put on the list of areas in need of stricter measures, in addition to the presently designated nine cities.
• Eating and drinking establishments in these areas are requested to close business by 20:00 and stop serving alcohol and use of karaoke equipment all day. Bringing in alcohol by customers is prohibited, too.

• Eating establishments that follow the request to shorten business hours are granted financial compensation. To receive it, establishments in the designated areas have to stop serving alcohol all day, and those in other areas have to stop serving alcohol by 20:00. And in all areas, suspending use of karaoke equipment, displaying the “List of Prevention Measures against COVID-19 Infection” and encouraging customers to put on a mask are also the requirements for the compensation.
• The prefectural government launched a program to give certification to eating establishments that encourage customers’ mask wearing to support their anti-virus measures. Please continue thorough infection prevention measures such as installation of acrylic boards, in addition to recommendation of mask wearing.
• Large visitor-attracting facilities with floor space of 1,000 square meters or over in the designated areas are requested to close by 20:00. Facilities that cooperate will be granted the financial compensation.
• All visitor-attracting facilities in the prefecture are requested to limit or control admission not to cause congestions in and around the facilities.
• Continue teleworking and encourage your employees to refrain from dining out in a group and unessential outings.

[To prefectural citizens]

• Refrain from outing and moving beyond the prefectural borders unless it is necessary for living.
• Do not visit shops and eateries not displaying the “List of Prevention Measures against COVID-19 Infections”. Avoid going to eating and drinking establishments operating even after the requested closing time. When you eat out, keep wearing a mask when you are not actually eating or drinking, irrespective of daytime of nighttime.
• Do not drink alcohol on the street and in other outdoor spaces and refrain from having a party inviting members outside your family.
• In case you have a fever or other symptoms, do not go to work or school, or join club activities.
• Lately, increasing number of variant cases has been reported in Kanagawa. Variant strains are highly contagious, and it is feared that even young people can develop serious symptoms once infected. Never think that your get-together is safe because it is with a small group, in an outdoor space or you are young.

 

Thorough anti-infection measures taken by each of you is the key to protect the lives of yourself, your beloved family and friends. I ask you again to think that the virus is everywhere, and keep taking the basic infection prevention measures of “MASK”, which stands for M for mask wearing, A for alcoholic disinfection, S for screening using acrylic boards, etc. and K for keeping distance and ventilating.

We are making efforts to secure medical care provision system, such as requesting medical institutions to increase the number of beds immediately available for COVID-19 patients.

Let’s make a united effort to overcome this difficult time. We ask for your continued cooperation. 

 

May 8, 2021
KUROIWA Yuji
Governor of Kanagawa Prefecture

 

• Have you ever seen “List of Prevention Measures against COVID-19 Infection”?