July 14, 2020

Japanese Communist Party Secretariat Head Koike Akira on July 13 at a press conference in the Diet building demanded that the government issue business suspension requests to certain industries in combination with compensation for loss of earnings. He also called for the expansion of the scope of PCR testing. These demands were made in response to an ever-increasing number of COVID-19 infections in Tokyo.

Koike referred to the fact that in Tokyo, the weekly average of new COVID-19 cases per 100,000 residents has exceeded eight. He pointed out, “The figure has surpassed not only 2.5, the government-set standard for prefectural governments’ making cooperation requests for their residents in preventing the spread of infections, but also five, the level at the time when the government declared a state of emergency.” Koike urged that based on Clause 9 of Article 24 of the special measures law on countermeasures against new types of influenza, the national and local governments should issue limited suspension requests combined with compensation for loss of earnings.

In addition, Koike called for an urgent expansion of PCR testing. He criticized the Abe government for restricting the scope of the test to close contacts of those who tested positive for the coronavirus. He demanded that regarding areas where infections are evidently spreading, COVID-19 tests be carried out on a wide range of people including the residents. Furthermore, Koike said that in regions where infections are growing such as the Tokyo metropolitan area and Osaka, the government should take measures to regularly test medical and nursing-care workers, staff of welfare facilities for people with disabilities, childcare workers, and school teachers.

Koike commented on Chief Cabinet Secretary Suga Yoshihide’s remark that the expansion of COVID-19 infections is a matter for Tokyo to deal with. He said that shifting the responsibility solely to Tokyo is an abandonment of the responsibility of the national government. He pointed out that in implementing infection countermeasures such as the establishment of medical preparedness and suspension requests combined with compensation, the national government plays a large role. Koike said, “The national government should fulfil its responsibility. In cooperation with the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, the central government should immediately take measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus infections.”

Past related article:
> Shii to gov't: Take immediate action to respond to surge in COVID-19 infection in Tokyo [July 3, 2020]