Photo/Illutration An “izakaya” drinking establishment in Naha opens with a notice about shorter operating hours on Jan. 9, when pre-emergency measures to fight COVID-19 were introduced. (Minako Yoshimoto)

NAHA—Bar and restaurant operators here are blasting a central government COVID-19 relief program that they say indirectly punishes businesses that comply with requests from authorities to help reduce the risk of infections.

The Okinawa prefectural government on Jan. 9 introduced pre-emergency measures that will provide financial support to restaurants and drinking establishments that temporarily shut down or shorten their operating hours.

Businesses certified as having established COVID-19 safety measures, such as setting up partitions between customers and ensuring good ventilation, can remain open until 9 p.m. and serve alcohol between 11 a.m. and 8 p.m. They can receive between 25,000 yen ($216) and 75,000 yen a day, commensurate with their sales, under the pre-emergency measures.

But under the support system of the central government, businesses that are not certified as having taken anti-infection measures can receive between 30,000 yen and 100,000 yen per day if they close by 8 p.m. and halt alcohol sales.

The central government said the difference in the relief sums is that the former can open for one hour longer.

Okinawa Governor Denny Tamaki had complained about the “unbalanced” treatment of proprietors at a meeting of prefectural governors, according to prefectural officials. But they said they don’t know if the situation will change.

Some business operators in Okinawa Prefecture are now scrambling to cancel their certificates as venues equipped with measures to help protect customers from the virus so that they can qualify for the higher support packages.

A 73-year-old woman who runs an “izakaya” pub near the Kokusai-dori main street in Naha denounced the relief program as ridiculous and in need of a complete overhaul.

“It defies common sense that less money is provided to businesses that cooperate with local authorities in helping to contain the spread of the virus,” she said.

The woman said her business has been hit hard by the recent wave of infections, with group bookings all canceled.

“(The central government) wants to say that the relief money you receive is less because you are allowed to serve alcohol, but sales from alcohol beverages don’t amount to much because most of our customers have disappeared,” she said.

The Okinawa prefectural government is moving to accept the cancellation of anti-COVID-19 certifications until Jan. 14 so that restaurants can receive more financial support as “uncertified” businesses.

The pre-emergency measures will be in effect until Jan. 31 to slow the spread of the Omicron variant in Okinawa Prefecture, which has the highest per capita rate of new infections in Japan.

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