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On January 12, 2021, the Prime Minister attended a Liaison Meeting of the Government and Ruling Parties at the Prime Minister’s Office.
 
The Prime Minister said in his opening address:
 
“This is the first Liaison Meeting of the Government and Ruling Parties in the new year. The Government will continue working closely with the ruling parties and tackle various issues this year too. I ask for your continued cooperation.  
 
In areas along the Sea of Japan, heavy snow is currently falling, and forecasts indicate it will continue to blanket vast areas. The Government is closely collaborating with local governments and relevant operators and doing everything we can in our capacity, including operations by the Self-Defense Forces.  
 
Last week, we decided to issue a declaration of a state of emergency for four prefectures (Saitama, Chiba, Tokyo and Kanagawa) where infections are continuing to spread rapidly.
 
In addition to those four prefectures, there are also other areas experiencing a rapid spread of infections, in particular Osaka. In light of this situation, we have decided to start reviews so as to expand the areas subject to the declaration of a state of emergency.  
 
In addition, I will exchange views with the Governors of those four prefectures. I intend to hear about the actual circumstances in these prefectures, and thoroughly implement effective measures through close collaboration with them, moving forward.  
 
Under the declaration of the state of emergency, based on our experiences so far, we have thoroughly streamlined our efforts in areas that are truly effective, and we are implementing relevant measures. In Tokyo, while the route of transmission is unknown in 60% of cases, our experts have pointed out that dining and drinking are the cause of many of those cases. It is extremely important to contain infections at dining and drinking establishments. We will increase the amount of cooperation money to 1.8 million yen, and exhaustively push to have dining and drinking establishments shorten their operating hours to 8 p.m. Furthermore, we will implement this as part of a package of four measures, which includes: reducing the number of people commuting to the office by 70%, through teleworking; refraining from going out after 8 p.m.; restricting the number of people attending an event, and intend to contain further infections.
 
Our greatest priority is to protect employment and ensure business continuity. In this regard, we have increased the amount of Employment Adjustment Subsidies as a special measure and also made large corporations eligible for these subsidies. We are providing liquidity support through interest-free unsecured loans from such sources as the Japan Finance Corporation. When providing loans, we will prepare an adequate amount of financial resources and keep the procedures simple and easy to use. Furthermore, we have also decided to provide a new lump-sum payment to small- and medium-sized enterprises that have experienced a significant fall in revenue due to the shortening of operating hours at dining establishments, such as vendors for said establishments.
 
Also, we are putting great effort into ensuring adequate medical treatment structures. When medical institutions increase the number of beds allocated to new coronavirus patients, subsidies of up to 19.5 million yen per bed will be provided. Since the start of the new year, Tokyo has been able to increase the number of hospital beds allocated to coronavirus patients by about 500.
 
On top of that, regarding vaccines, which will serve as the decisive factor as we battle the virus, we will make preparations to begin administering the vaccine by late February to the extent possible, after we assess its safety and efficacy.
 
While we exert every effort into preventing the spread of infections so as to restore our everyday lives as soon as possible, we will continue to materialize this year the reforms that we have been working on since the inauguration of my administration, starting with what we can do. We will advance relevant initiatives in the fields of digital and green, as the driving forces for the growth of the next era. We will launch an agency in charge of digital transformation in September this year, aiming to at last undertake full-scale reforms. With regard to green initiatives, we will support bold investments, including the research and development of rechargeable batteries, which will be the key to renewable energy.
 
Furthermore, regarding the declining birthrate, which has been Japan’s most urgent issue for many years, we will realize insurance coverage for fertility treatment, and achieve a final resolution to the problem of childcare waiting lists by establishing childcare facilities for around 140,000 children. Furthermore, we will realize a 35-student class size, which will be the greatest reform for the first time in 40 years. 
 
At the ordinary session of the Diet that will commence next week, along with the supplementary budget and next fiscal year’s budget, we are to ask for deliberations on budgets and bills that are directly linked to the lives of the public, including amendments to the Act on Special Measures for Pandemic Influenza and New Infectious Diseases Preparedness and Response so as to address the novel coronavirus situation, the establishment of an agency in charge of digital transformation, and the bill to establish a 35-student class size. I ask for your cooperation.
 
I intend for the Government and ruling parties to work as one and put in place all possible measures, overcome this infectious disease by any means necessary, and bring peace of mind and hope to the citizens. In closing, I would like to ask for the continued understanding and cooperation of all members of the ruling parties. Thank you.”