At a special meeting on April 13, Fukuoka prefecture’s Novel Coronavirus Response Headquarters announced their decision to ask for the closures of the following businesses. The request will be in effect for the entire prefecture between April 14 to May 6.
Facilities asked to halt operations:
Entertainment facilities (cabarets, night clubs, bars, adult entertainment facilities, internet cafe, manga cafe, karaoke parlors, live houses, gymnasiums, swimming pools, bowling alleys, sports clubs and similar sports facilities, mahjong parlors, pachinko parlors, video game centers, theaters, movie theaters, etc.)
University and other educational institutions (universities, special skill schools, driving schools, cram schools, etc. *Facility with a total floor space of 100 m2 or below may operate while implementing appropriate measures to prevent the spread of infections.) Schools (kindergartens, elementary, junior high and high schools, individual schools *Operations of daycare or other necessary activities to secure spaces for single-parented children and children whose parents work for institutions such as medical facilities are also requested.)
Meeting and exhibition facilities (meeting halls, exhibition halls, museums, art museums, libraries, hotel and ryokan halls, etc.) Commercial facilities (shops selling items other than daily necessities or related services. *Facility with a total floor space of 100 m2 or below may operate while implementing appropriate measures to prevent infections.)
Facilities exempted from the closure request (*Implementations of measures to prevent coronavirus infections are requested):
– Medical institutions (hospitals, medical clinics, pharmacies, etc.)
– Welfare institutions (nurseries, after-school club, children daycare *parents who can take care of their children at home are requested to do so to minimize operations at these facilities. Facilities giving residential aid or related services to support elderly and disabled people.)
– Retail shops and related facilities (wholesale markets, sales floors handling food products, sales floors handling daily necessities at department stores, home products retailers, supermarkets, etc., convenience stores, etc.)
– Accommodation facilities (hotels, ryokan, dormitories, etc.)
– Transportation (buses, taxies, car rental offices, railways, cruises, passenger and cargo flights, logistics, package delivery, and related services, etc.)
– Factories (factories, workshops, etc.)
– Financial facilities and Public offices (banks, stock exchange, security and insurance offices, public offices, etc. *further efforts in promoting teleworking are requested.)
– Others (media, funeral halls, public baths, pawnshops, veterinarians, hair salons, laundry services, waste disposal facilities, etc.)
Facilities asked to shorten business hours:
Food services (restaurants and izakaya pubs, cafes, etc. *including meal delivery and food-to-go. These businesses are requested to limit operation hours to 5 a.m. ~ 8 p.m.. and avoid serving alcoholic drinks to dine-in customers after 7 p.m.)
MEASURES TO PREVENT THE SPREAD OF COVID-19 INFECTIONS
1. Prevent the entrance of those with a fever or other symptoms:
– Monitor body temperature and health condition of staff members and cancel their shift in case of a fever (37.5 °C or above.)
– Monitor body temperature and health condition of customers and restrict their entrance in case of illness (37.5 °C or above.)
2. Avoid three “C”s – closed, crowded and close-range conversations
– Limit the number of customers staying in the shop, avoid waiting for lines, and effectively keep 2-meter distances between customers.
– Ventilate the room.
– Avoid crowded meeting rooms by using online or telecommunication systems.
3. Prevent droplet transmission
– Cooperate with staff members in wearing surgical masks, sanitizing hands, practicing cough etiquette, and washing hands.
– Cooperate with customers in wearing surgical masks, sanitizing hands, cough etiquette, and washing hands.
– Regularly sanitize shop and office interiors.
4. Prevent infections while commuting:
– Avoid rush hours by adjusting work time, self-driving, riding bicycles, or walking to the office.
– Reduce the frequency of commuting by adopting telework.
– Restrict business trips (use telephone or video meeting systems instead) and limit the number of visitors to the office.
Sources: Nikkei, NHK, Fukuoka Prefecture
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