Chairman Kobayashi’s Comments on Declaration of
Fourth State of Emergency for Tokyo

July 9, 2021

The government has declared a fourth state of emergency for Tokyo. While unfortunate, this decision was both inevitable and correct. The spread of the more contagious Delta variant and growing movement of people have caused the number of new infections to once again trend in the wrong direction. If we hope to stop COVID-19 and ease the stress it is placing on our nation’s healthcare system, then we must recognize this for the crisis it is and act accordingly.

On behalf of the JFTC, I call on the government to take every step necessary to ensure a smooth vaccine rollout. Those responsible must secure sufficient doses, allocate those doses appropriately to the regional authorities and businesses, and provide our citizens with information that is both accurate and timely to help dispel their concerns about side effects and other factors that might dissuade them from receiving their vaccinations. Herd immunity will be essential to bringing this virus under control, so those of us in the working community must set a good example.

All members of the JFTC remain committed to working with the central government, local authorities and all other concerned organizations to stop the spread of COVID-19. We will continue to promote telecommuting and digitalization, help to make vaccinations more easily and readily available to workers and other citizens, and take the steps needed to ensure business continuity and growth.