A message from the Governor of Iwate about COVID-19 (May 5th)

-A message given by Governor Tasso during the 13th meeting of the Iwate Prefecture COVID-19 Countermeasures HQ (May 5th)-

Firstly, I would like to begin by thanking the residents of Iwate, as well as everyone else, for your cooperation in avoiding travel in relation to the state of emergency originally planned to end tomorrow, especially during the Golden Week period.

As of today, the number of confirmed cases in Iwate Prefecture remains to be zero. Iwate Prefecture has maintained its status as an “non-infected area” as a result of each and everyone’s efforts in avoiding unnecessary outings, the “three C’s”, and thorough practice of basic measures against infection.

Furthermore, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to not only those combating the virus, but to all medical personnel in Iwate, and to everyone working in essential services.

Yesterday, the national government decided to extend the state of emergency measures in all prefectures until May 31st, and at today’s meeting we decided on the “Emergency Measures to Prevent the Spread of Novel Coronavirus Infections in Iwate Prefecture” that will be in effect following May 7th.

We request that all residents of Iwate as well as everyone else refrain from non-urgent and unnecessary outings, travel between prefectures, and from traveling home.

For those who are coming and returning from special alert prefectures to Iwate,  please respect the isolation requests of your prefectures, and we would like to ask you to take appropriate measures for two weeks after arriving.

Moreover, we would like to ask you to avoid restaurants or businesses that provide in-person services in downtown and shopping district areas.

Requests for facility closures will not be extended, but we ask that each facility, such as stores, to implement thorough measures to prevent infection.

Taking into account that continuous measures will be required from now on when going to work etc., we would like to ask businesses to take measures to reduce the risk of infection such as implementing a work-from-home (telework) system, or staggered work hours  to reduce contact between people.

It has been pointed out at a national expert meeting that we must “prepare for the long-haul” in responding to the novel coronavirus. We ask that you continue to follow basic preventative measures such as avoiding the “three C’s”, to keep up proper hand washing and to maintain social distancing. In taking up this "new social behavior", let us find a balance between prevention of infection, and maintaining our social economy.

• Japanese Version
• Information on the Coronavirus (COVID-19) – Iwate Prefecture
• Consultation Hotlines/Centers in Iwate for Possible COVID-19 Cases