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Following the spread of the new corona virus, Kanagawa prefecture decided on the 3rd to request that restaurants in Yokohama and Kawasaki be open from 7 to 17. Governor Yuji Kuroiwa has shown a negative attitude towards the request for shorter working hours, but said : “I want to stop the spread of the infection somehow.” He also asked all citizens of the prefecture to “moderate the exit until the 17th.” Especially for the elderly and people with underlying diseases. (Shota Shimura)
Yuji Kuroiwa, Governor of Kanagawa Prefecture = in the prefectural office explaining the business request to save time
According to the prefecture, it was limited to both cities due to the large number of restaurants and the number of infected people per population. Initially, the idea was to target only neighborhoods with many restaurants, but abandoned due to “difficult to limit” (Yokohama city executive). The budget for cooperation money of 20,000 yen per store per day paid to restaurants, etc. according to reduced business hours it is 3 billion yen. 80% will be covered by national grants and the rest will be covered by the prefecture.
The prefecture also asked hospitals accepting new coronavirus patients to open the intensive care room (ICU) as much as possible postponing non-urgent surgery. Of the 92 beds (from the 2nd day) that can be used immediately for critical patients, 61 are occupied and there is no place for them.
In addition, the governor ordered the equalization of the load, such as the long-term dispatch of support personnel, and said the load is skewed towards some staff who deal with the crown.
◆ Delayed decision Mask dinner … “Drive yourself” countermeasures
Behind the delay in the decision to request shorter business hours from the Tokyo, Saitama and Chiba prefectures was the attitude of Governor Yuji Kuroiwa, who said that the measures by the client were important and the difficulty of coordinating with governments requested premises.
The governor has long said that “restaurants are taking considerable steps to prevent infection” and that customers should remove their masks and dine frequently. It even got “certification” from the government, like Prime Minister Yoshii Suga yelling, “I’d like to order a Kuroiwa-style mask dinner.” A council in the ruling prefecture said the delay in the decision was “the governor himself struggled.”
According to people familiar with the matter, in November, when the re-spread of the infection became apparent, the governor decided to raise the infection situation to “Stage 3” (rapid increase in infection) to curb economic activities. However, the government was reluctant to raise it, and the prefectural office, including Lieutenant Governor Seiji Takei, demanded that it be compatible with economic activities, and the situation continued that “the measures were small” (prefectural executives) .
Target local governments were reluctant to lower the target. An executive of a city government ordinance said in an interview that “there is no evidence that the infection has spread to restaurants in a specific area. It is unfair if it is not done throughout the prefecture.” However, there was no tendency for the infection to go away and we decided to request shorter business hours. The governor called the mayors himself on the morning of the 3rd and gained their understanding. (Shota Shimura)
◆ “Short-term concentration” “I doubt it will be effective”
Mr. Fukuda responds to interview as he prepares to open the store Ventilation and wearing of a mask are said to be thorough during business hours = at Kawasaki Ward, Kawasaki City
Restaurants in Yokohama and Kawasaki City, which were asked to shorten business hours during the end-of-the-year holiday season at the time of writing this report, expressed concern about declining customer numbers and they questioned the effect.
Atsushi Kikuchi (30), who runs four taverns around JR Kawasaki Station, said “Really?” When informed of the request to reduce business hours. He was concerned, “This is the most profitable and most enjoyable time for customers. Then I might think I should stop drinking at the store.”
Akira Tagaya (51), president of the “Sei” pub near Yokohama station, said: “I wonder if it will be effective in shortening the time in the air that I do not drink after 10 pm.” Thoughts to respond to requests.
On the other hand, some opinions welcome the judgment of the prefecture. Takatomo Fukuda, a 42-year-old representative of the restaurant “Tsubasa BonBon” in Kawasaki-ku, Kawasaki, said: “If the infection can be suppressed in a short period of time and the atmosphere changes to eating out.” (Kyoko Ando, Shumi Ishikawa, Masaki Ishihara)
