Prime Minister Suga held a press conference at the Prime Minister's Office on the night of the 5th, and apologized for the extension of the state of emergency issued to the metropolitan area's 1 metropolitan area and 3 prefectures for 2 weeks, and then proceeded to cancel it. I asked the people for further cooperation.
At the beginning of the press conference, Prime Minister Suga explained that the government's response headquarters decided to extend the state of emergency issued to the three prefectures of the Tokyo metropolitan area by two weeks until the 21st of this month. ..
On top of that, "Since January when the declaration was issued, a big effect has been visibly appearing, and the number of newly infected people nationwide has decreased by more than 80%. In Tokyo, the number of newly infected people per day, which was a guideline for cancellation, is 500. The number of people has been below the number of people, and the number has decreased to 301 today. The number of inpatients and seriously ill people continues to decrease. This is just for everyone, even without making strict declarations like in other countries. It is the result of working hard with one heart. "
On the other hand, in 1 metropolitan area and 3 prefectures, there are areas where the usage rate of beds is high, and there is a growing concern about so-called rebound. It is a necessary period for the period. I decided to extend it as the Prime Minister, taking these points calmly and comprehensively into consideration, "he explained the reason for extending the declaration.
He apologized, "I am very sorry that I could not cancel the declaration by the 7th of this month, which I originally promised, and I sincerely apologize."
In addition, as future measures, we will continue to thoroughly implement measures such as shortening the business hours of restaurants and refraining from going out unnecessarily, and expanding the scale of monitoring inspections for asymptomatic people in large cities in order to detect community-acquired infections. I showed the idea to implement it.
On top of that, "The risk is especially high for eating and drinking, which involves a lot of conversations without masks, and it has become clear that this is the center of countermeasures. Spring is a milestone in life such as graduation ceremonies, entrance ceremonies, and welcome and farewell parties. At the same time, there are many opportunities for people to gather, such as cherry blossom viewing. At the end of last year, it was pointed out that the infection spread due to the influence of the year-end party. Even at this opportunity, please refrain from eating a large number of people. Even in the area after the cancellation, we ask for dinner with family members or up to 4 people as much as possible, "he said, calling for cooperation.
On the other hand, regarding the vaccine, Prime Minister Suga said, "From the 12th of next month, we will start inoculating elderly people nationwide, and from the end of next month we will significantly expand the scale. I want to deliver it as soon as possible. "
Regarding the response to the mutated virus, "Although no regional spread has been confirmed, it has been confirmed in 19 prefectures since the end of last year, and sufficient caution is still required. From this month, mutant strains will be released in a short time. We will carry out inspections of new detection methods in all prefectures and strengthen our domestic monitoring system. "
Furthermore, in relation to future support measures, "It has a serious impact on business and life. Some industries, such as food and drink, accommodation, and local public transportation, continue to face particularly difficult conditions. We will continue to provide support. We also have sufficient funds and various support measures according to the scale and situation, and we will consult with each other individually and respond politely. "
"What I should do now for the Prime Minister is to ensure the results so far, prevent rebounds, and be able to lift the declaration. There is also an opinion that'the tension is loosening'. On the other hand, I also know that there are voices saying, "It's already the limit." While thinking about these various voices, I decided to take further measures. I'm very sorry to the people, but everyone. We sincerely ask for your further cooperation in order to protect our lives and livelihoods and to restore a safe and lively life. "
Chairman Omi "Medical burden in the Greater Tokyo Area is not improving."
Shigeru Omi, Chairman of the Advisory Committee, who attended the press conference of Prime Minister Suga, said that the state of emergency was extended in one of the three prefectures in the Tokyo metropolitan area. "Now in the Tokyo metropolitan area, the infection status and medical status have been lifted. The level that has been shown as a condition has been cleared. However, the current situation is that the medical load is not in the direction of stable improvement. "
On top of that, the reason for the extension is "In a word, it is the peculiarity of the metropolitan area. At the same time as the population is large, there are also many entertainment districts, and it is difficult for local governments to cooperate with each other over a wide area. There are many things I don't know. If you cancel the declaration in such a situation, you will definitely see a certain increase in infection. The governor will take measures such as strengthening the examination and medical system within the last two weeks so that it will not lead to rebound I think that whether or not the countermeasures have been taken will be an important factor in making a decision when canceling. "