Photo/Illutration Yasutoshi Nishimura, minister in charge of COVID-19 measures, speaks at a news conference on the government’s plan to relax travel restrictions on July 18. (Tatsuya Shimada)

A recent spike in COVID-19 cases in Tokyo and elsewhere is forcing the government to consider reviewing easing restrictions on the size of indoor events from August.

“We should proceed cautiously with relaxing the restrictions,” Yasutoshi Nishimura, minister in charge of COVID-19 measures, said at a news conference on July 18, referring to the possibility that the government may have to rethink the plan.

Nishimura noted the sharp rise in new cases in Tokyo over the past week and the high likelihood of large crowds congregating at indoor venues when restrictions are eased.

“It is only expected that people will travel from Tokyo if events with 10,000 and 20,000 people become allowable,” he said.

The government plans to seek the opinion of an advisory panel of experts on the planned easing of restrictions before it makes a final decision.

Under government policy, attendance to indoor events is restricted to half the venue's capacity, or up to 5,000 people.

But the restriction to cap the number at 5,000 is supposed to be eliminated from Aug. 1.

The government decided to ease restrictions on holding events in four stages based on the assessment of the spread of the new coronavirus every three weeks after it lifted the state of emergency for all of Japan on May 25.

In Step 3, which began July 10, indoor events, such as professional sports  and concerts, can accommodate audiences half the venue's capacity, up to 5,000 people.

From Aug. 1, limiting the audience to up to 5,000 spectators will end.

That means that large indoor venues can accommodate more than 5,000 people, depending on their capacity.

Nishimura also expressed caution with respect to a call by some prefectural governors to toughen the special measures law to combat the pandemic by introducing penalties for businesses that do not comply with local authorities' request for closure. 

“It is not something you can do over a short period of time, given the scope of the work needed to achieve it,” he said.

He added that he will work with the health ministry on the government’s response to COVID-19 as various measures can still be implemented under the special measures law and other relevant laws.



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