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On January 13, 2021, the Prime Minister held the 52nd meeting of the Novel Coronavirus Response Headquarters at the Prime Minister’s Office.
 
At the meeting, the participants discussed the response to the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
 
Following the discussion, the Prime Minister said:
 
“We have a strong sense of urgency since there has been a rapid spread of COVID-19 infections in the Tokyo Metropolitan Area, particularly in Tokyo, from the end of last year, as well as a rapid increase in cases in the Chukyo Area and the Kansai region, among others, from the beginning of this year.
 
Against this backdrop, following the discussions of today’s meeting of the Advisory Committee on the Basic Action Policy, we hereby designate the seven prefectures of Osaka, Kyoto, Hyogo, Aichi, Gifu, Fukuoka, and Tochigi as prefectures subject to the emergency situation measures in accordance with the Act on Special Measures for Pandemic Influenza and New Infectious Diseases Preparedness and Response. This decision was made based on the current infection situation in respective areas as well as our assessment that, with regard to large metropolitan areas, it is necessary to implement precautionary measures before infections spread nationwide.
 
The emergency situation measures are being implemented until February 7.
 
Based on our experience fighting this virus for nearly one year, we intend to carry out thoroughgoing measures, targeting all areas that are effective. We will implement the following four measures: shortening the operating hours of dining and drinking establishments to until 8 p.m., refraining from going out for non-essential or non-urgent reasons, decreasing the number of people commuting to their workplaces by 70 percent through teleworking, and restricting the number of people attending an event.
 
In order to ensure these measures deliver results, close collaboration and cooperation among the national and local governments, as well as the cooperation of citizens, are extremely essential.
 
Going forward, we will establish a liaison meeting between the national government and the prefectural governments subject to the declaration of the state of emergency. Through the discussions at these meetings, we intend for local governments to implement measures based on the actual circumstances in their respective areas and the Government to provide them with the necessary support to the maximum extent.
 
In light of the recent severe situation domestically and newly confirmed cases of infections from coronavirus variants among people entering Japan from abroad, we will strengthen our border controls further.
 
I ask each minister to continue your all-out effort to implement the relevant measures to prevent the further spread of infections, following today’s decision.”