TOKYO: Japan’s government decided Thursday to implement pre-emergency measures against the new coronavirus in the neighboring western prefectures of Osaka and Hyogo and the northeastern prefecture of Miyagi in response to resurging infection cases in the areas.

This is the first time for Japan to enforce coronavirus pre-emergency countermeasures, created under the revised special law on the fight against the virus, which was enacted in February.

Specifically, the pre-emergency stage will cover the city of Osaka, the capital of Osaka Prefecture, the Hyogo capital of Kobe, the Hyogo cities of Nishinomiya, Amagasaki and Ashiya, which are located between the two prefectural capital cities, and the Miyagi capital of Sendai.

The designation of the pre-emergency stage will be effective for one month from Monday through May 5, the final day of this year’s Golden Week holidays starting in late April. Restaurants and bars in the areas will be asked to close by 8 p.m. as part of the measures to prevent infection cases from increasing further, and noncompliant facilities can be fined up to 200,000 yen.

“By taking countermeasures intensively, we aim to prevent the infection situations (in the three prefectures) from deteriorating to a point requiring the declaration of a state of emergency,” Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga told a meeting of the government’s coronavirus response headquarters.

“There are no magic bullets in the fight against the coronavirus,” he said. “We will prevent the virus from spreading further by patiently promoting countermeasures at restaurants and bars, expanding virus tests and securing sufficient medical services until coronavirus vaccines reach all people.”

A fourth wave of novel coronavirus infections is believed to have started in the three prefectures, fueling concerns that the virus crisis may overwhelm the local medical systems.

On Thursday, Osaka Prefecture confirmed 616 new cases of novel coronavirus infection, its first figure above 600 since 629 on Jan. 16 and the fourth-highest daily count.

In Hyogo, new infection cases came to 211 on Wednesday, its first reading above 200 since Jan. 28, and to 199 on Thursday.

New infection cases totaled 133 in Miyagi on Thursday, standing above 100 for the third successive day.

The government now finds it necessary to take intensive countermeasures at eating and drinking establishments in major cities in the prefectures, sources familiar with the situation said.

The government plans to provide aid money to businesses accepting the request for shorter operating hours based on their business scale.

Under the pre-emergency stage, prefectural governors can request or order local businesses to cut their opening hours.

The central government on Thursday morning gained approval from experts for its plans to invoke the pre-emergency measures in the three prefectures.

JIJI Press