In the amendment talks between the ruling and opposition parties over the special measures law for measures against the new coronavirus and the amendment to the infectious disease law, the ruling party is also considering removing the imprisonment for infected persons who refused the hospitalization recommendation that the opposition party is seeking to withdraw. We are aiming for an early agreement.
On the 26th, the chief directors of the ruling and opposition parties of the House of Representatives Cabinet Committee and the Welfare and Labor Committee held amendments to the Special Measures Law and the Infectious Diseases Law to improve the effectiveness of measures against the new coronavirus.
At the meeting, the opposition party demanded the withdrawal of criminal punishment including imprisonment for infected persons who refused hospitalization recommendation as "excessive" and ensured transparency of "priority measures such as prevention of spread" before the state of emergency was declared. In order to do so, we requested that the report to the Diet be stipulated.
The talks are scheduled to be held on the 27th, and the ruling party is considering removing the imprisonment for criminal penalties for infected people and reducing the amount of fines.
In addition, the policy is to coordinate the report to the Diet when implementing "priority measures" in the direction of clearly stating the government's response in incidental resolutions.
The ruling party wants to start deliberations on the amendment at the plenary session of the House of Representatives on the 29th, and is aiming for an early agreement on the assumption that it will be settled by the executives of the ruling and opposition parties in addition to the discussion by the chief director.