Apr 07 (Japan Today) - A state of emergency is set to be declared in Tokyo, Kanagawa, Chiba, Saitama, Osaka, Hyogo and Fukuoka prefectures -- areas most heavily hit by the spread of the coronavirus. So how will life change for residents?
In practice, not as much as you might think. People will be instructed to stay at home except to carry out important tasks such as purchasing food and daily supplies, or seeking medical care. Working from home will be encouraged but not mandatory.
Essential businesses such as supermarkets, convenience stores and pharmacies will remain open, and the government has given assurances that there is no need to panic buy or hoard everyday necessities like toilet paper.
"We're asking for the public's cooperation in reducing person-to-person contact that could lead to transmission" of the coronavirus, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told reporters on Monday.
Places where people gather in large numbers such as theaters, concert halls, and sports stadiums may be ordered to close and major events canceled or postponed.
Tokyo and other densely populated areas have been acting in anticipation of such measures, with many stores and restaurants shuttering of their own accord on weekends and far fewer people on the streets than usual.
Many schools have already decided not to resume classes until the Golden Week holidays end on May 6, the same day the state of emergency is expected to be lifted. Nurseries and care facilities for the elderly, which have so far remained open, may also be asked to close.
Public transportation will continue to operate, although there may be changes to schedules or reduced services depending on demand.
East Japan Railway Co, which serves Tokyo and the surrounding area, reported a 30 percent drop in passengers on its Yamanote Line on the weekend of March 28 to 29, when Tokyo Gov Yuriko Koike asked the capital's 14 million residents to stay at home. She made the same request for the following weekend.
Source: ANNnewsCH
