Photo/Illutration Yasutoshi Nishimura, economy minister who also serves as minister responding to the coronavirus pandemic, at a news conference (Ayako Nakada)

In a renewed call, the government will ask businesses to implement strict measures against the spread of COVID-19, including having 70 percent of employees work from home and enact staggered commuting times.

The request comes as a surge in new coronavirus cases is being reported around the nation, particularly in Tokyo and Osaka.

Yasutoshi Nishimura, economy minister who also serves as minister responding to the coronavirus pandemic, noted at a news conference on July 26 that fewer companies are now engaging in teleworking than earlier this year.

“We would like employers to promote various styles of working, coupled with staggered commuting, making sure that they do not back away from remote working,” he said.

Later on July 26, Nishimura posted a message in his Twitter account that businesses should let 70 percent of their employees telework, encourage staggered commuting and have their workers refrain from dining together in large groups.

When the government issued a state of emergency over the virus in April, it asked companies to reduce the number of employees working in offices by 70 percent.

While the state of emergency was lifted on May 25, the government continued calling on businesses to promote remote working to achieve the target of a 70 percent reduction in the basic policy to grapple with the pandemic.

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