Tokyo Mulls Move to Next Stage of Reopening, Report Says
Tokyo Mulls Move to Next Stage to Reopen Businesses, Report Says
(Bloomberg) -- Tokyo is considering moving to the next stage of its reopening roadmap as a recent uptick in coronavirus cases has stabilized, according to a local report, a move that would allow businesses including karaoke and theme parks to reopen their doors.
The move to step three of the city’s reopening comes as authorities are considering lifting the “Tokyo Alert” issued last week urging greater vigilance against the pandemic, broadcaster TBS reported, citing an unidentified official. Both moves may come as early as Thursday, the report said.
“We’ll try to,” Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike said when asked in an interview with Bloomberg News if the city would move to step three of its roadmap. “We’ll check all the data and if the data goes down from the standard of the alert, then we are ready to ease the restrictions and also step up to three.”
The new stage would end calls for a host of businesses to stay closed, enabling amusement centers and internet cafes to reopen. Pachinko parlors, most of which have already reopened despite government requests to remain shut, will also be officially permitted. Bars and restaurants would be allowed to serve until midnight, versus 10 p.m. under current guidelines, and large-scale events of up to 1,000 people could be held.
Koike issued the alert last week after the city reported 34 cases in one day, lighting in red the scenic Rainbow Bridge in Tokyo Bay to warn residents against the virus. Since then, cases have stabilized, with the seven-day average of 18.7 new infections below the city’s guideline of 20.
Some facilities, such as night clubs and live music venues, will still be asked to stay shut until national guidelines are set for businesses at high risk of producing large clusters of the virus. Authorities in Japan have focused on avoiding what they calls the “Three C’s” -- closed spaces, crowded spaces and close-contact settings -- rather than enforcing social distancing measures. There were 45 new cases reported nationwide on Wednesday in the country of 126.5 million.
Host and hostess clubs as well as other adult establishments would still be asked to stay closed, although many have already resumed operating, with authorities lacking the ability to enforce requests for businesses to close. The city’s sprawling nighttime entertainment districts have been blamed for clusters of the virus, leading authorities to plan regular PCR tests and a support hotline for workers in the industry.
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