Society

Japan to keep cap on event attendees at 5,000 through end of August

Jul 24 (the-japan-news.com) - Event capacity will remain capped at 5,000 people through the end of August, the government decided Wednesday, citing the rising number of new cases nationwide.

The government decided to postpone the easing of its capacity guidelines, which was to have taken place Aug. 1, after having discussions with a government panel of experts on measures against the novel coronavirus.

â€œWhile keeping them in place through the end of August, we will make a judgment [on when to ease them] based on the number of new cases during this period,â€ Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said during a meeting of the governmentâ€™s task force later in the day.

Currently, the guidelines state that for any event indoors or outdoors, such as a concert or professional sports match, up to 5,000 spectators or 50% of the venueâ€™s capacity are allowed, whichever figure is lower.

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