Iwate State of Emergency (Revised on February 1st 2022)

Request to the Citizens and Visitors of Iwate

(1) Important notes in regards to going outside

Please avoid going to areas that are crowded or high risk areas.

(2) Travelling to areas where the risk of infection is high

Please refrain from any non-essential travel to areas under a state or quasi-state of emergency.

Please carefully consider the decision to go to areas that have an increased rate of virus spread but are not in states or quasi-states of emergency.

Please be careful and understand the restrictions in place at your destination.

Reinforcement of Basic Infection Prevention Measures

Please ensure that the basic infection prevention measures are followed regardless of whether you are at home or in the workplace.
Please also ensure that the basic infection prevention measures are followed regardless of who you are with.
If you are at increased risk of serious illness (elderly or have underlying medical conditions*) and/or are living with family with children who attend kindergartens, nursery schools or elementary schools, please take even more care.

• Wear a non-woven (non-fabric) mask, which effectively stops particle spread.
• Enforce regular handwashing, wearing masks at all times and follow cough etiquette.
• Wear a mask even after being vaccinated.
• Avoid speaking in a loud voice, or having conversations within close contact.
• Remember to control the temperature and humidity indoors.
• Check your health every day. If you are ill, avoid going outside and consult a doctor by phone.
• Avoid meetings that have any of the 3C's (closed spaces, close contact, crowded places) as they increase the risk of infection.
• Dine quickly, without excessive drinking or loud conversations and always wear a mask when conversing.
• Aim to go to restaurants that have the "Iwate Restaurant Safe Practices Certification System" where the prevention measures are in place.
• Anyone who has arrived in Iwate from other prefectures should continue any self-restraint measures from their previous location for the next two weeks**.

Request for Workplaces

• Record the health condition of your workers.
• Ask any worker who displays symptoms to stay at home and seek a consultation from a medical institution as soon as possible.
• Enforce wearing masks when conversing, even during meal and break times.
• Ensure that masks are being worn at all times as well as ensuring that close contact situations are not being created, even in break rooms and change rooms.
• Make sure that conversations are not being held without masks in smoking areas or cafeterias.
• Decrease the amount of contact between people through work from home (telework), rotation systems or stagnating work hours.
• Decrease the number of business trips through online meetings
• For those businesses that are essential for the societal and economic stability of the prefecture, please review your business continuity plan (BCP) and determine how the business will be able to continue supporting the life and economy of Iwate.

Request for Restaurants, Leisure and Hotel Facilities

• Hotel faciltiies, restaurants and shops in entertainment districts must self-examine and enforce guidelines as per their respective industries.
• Any visitors to the aforementioned facilities must cooperate with any prevention control measures from their owners.
• Patrons and employees must record information about contact, along with contact details
• Obtain certification from the "Iwate Restaurant Safe Practices Certification System"

Request for Schools

(Prefectural Schools)

• Enforce basic prevention control measures based on the school's coronavirus hygiene management manual.
• Review and reduce activities outside of school (for example: school trips, excursions, educational excursions and experiences, etc... but excluding anything related to higher education or finding new employment) and enforce appropriate prevention control measures.
• In general, any school events should be within school grounds with students and teachers only. However, for graduation ceremonies, schools may allow parents and guardians to attend by setting a limit for the number of attendees. In the case of parental attendence, reduce the length of the event as much as possible.
• Consider implementing staggered student arrival times for schools that have students who come from areas with increased viral spread.
• Limit club activities to weekdays and for no more than 2 hours. In general, practice games with other schools are prohibited. However, if an official tournament is soon (within 1 month), the restrictions are not strictly enforced, but please undergo activities with the absolute minimum amount of contact after considering its importance. 

(Municipal and Private Elementary, Middle and High Schools)

• Enforce restrictions based on the rules for prefectural schools

Rules for Prefectural Facilities and Events

• Prefectural faciltiies such as museums, art gallaries and sporting facilities will operate whilst enforcing infection control measures such as avoiding crowds through controlling entry numbers.
• Enforce prevention measures that match the purpose of each facility, especially for indoor sports facilities. This may include avoiding shouting, ensuring enough space is guaranteed in the change rooms, and that masks are being worn when conversations are held when sports activities are not happening.
• With regards to events held by the prefecture, these events will be held while enforcing infection control measures such as organizing seating which avoids the 3C's, ensuring the space between people is upheld, masks are worn at all times and managing the movement of sports players and performing artists.

Request to be Calm and Compassionate

• Discriminating, judging or harassing anyone who is infected, or their families, will strictly not be tolerated. Let's be compassionate and act calmly.
• Please support essential workers, such as medical staff, who provide the citizens with vital services, with compassion and appreciation.
• Being vaccinated is a choice. Please do not discriminate against those who have not been vaccinated, and please do not force your employees to take the vaccine.