May 30 (Japan Times) - Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike announced Friday that phase two of the capital’s three-part plan to peel back coronavirus countermeasures will begin on Monday.
A day earlier, the Osaka Prefectural Government said it would start lifting all remaining business closure requests on Monday — giving the green light to clubs, gyms, bars and other facilities that had been struck by cluster infections.
Municipal leaders say new cases of the novel coronavirus will be closely monitored as the country’s largest cities continue to emerge from the state of emergency declared April 7 by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who lifted the order in all prefectures on Monday.
The brisk pace and disjointed manner in which these orders are being lifted in different parts of the country, however, are drawing criticism and concern.
Under Tokyo’s plan, social distancing and business closure requests will be peeled back in three phases to reopen society and reboot the capital’s economy while taking precautionary measures to prevent a second wave of infections.
Tokyo, one of the last prefectures to be cleared, will enter phase two on Monday, Koike said at a meeting Friday of the metropolitan government’s coronavirus task force.
“As we move closer to reopening the city, now is when the risk of a second wave is at its highest,†Koike said Friday. “We need to prioritize both the local economy and the well-being of residents.â€
In phase one, Tokyo urged museums, libraries and other cultural institutions to reopen while eating establishments were urged to close at 10 p.m. instead of 8 p.m. In phase two, movie theaters, gyms and entertainment venues will be urged to reopen.
