Chairman Kobayashi’s Comments on Government’s Declaration of
Second State of Emergency

January 8, 2021

Due to the spread of the novel coronavirus, a second state of emergency has been declared for four prefectures: Tokyo, Kanagawa, Saitama, and Chiba. The virus has been relentless, and it has now plunged the entire country into a state of crisis. The greater Tokyo area has been particularly hard hit. Declaring a second state of emergency was no doubt a difficult decision for the authorities to make, but it was necessary to avoid placing an even greater strain on Japan’s already stressed healthcare system.

The situation remains dire across the globe. Many countries and regions are facing second or third waves of infections, and new variants of the virus that are more transmissible have been detected. The Japanese government must act quickly to counter the spread, and its possible options include revising the pandemic influenza special measures act and creating a program to rapidly administer vaccinations.

Collaboration between the government, business community and public will be essential to preventing further transmission of the virus. Together with its member companies, the JFTC will do everything in its power to assist both the national and local authorities as well as all other concerned organizations in stopping COVID-19. The JFTC also remains dedicated to encouraging work-from-home policies, digitalization and other efforts aimed at sustaining Japan’s socioeconomic activity during these challenging times.