Video message from Mayor HAYASHI Fumiko to residents and businesses regarding COVID-19(2020.11.24)

To residents and businesses in Yokohama,
This is Mayor Hayashi Fumiko.

Since the beginning of November, the number of COVID-19 cases in Yokohama has surged rapidly. In the past week, the city has seen an average increase of 88.3 cases per day, and we are bracing ourselves for a continued increase of cases.

Currently, there are 64 patients hospitalized with severe and moderate symptoms. Although only 23% of the 500 hospital beds in the city secured for severe and moderate symptom patients are filled, we must remain vigilant.

In cooperation with Kanagawa Prefecture, the City of Yokohama is working to ensure that the healthcare system is adequately prepared for COVID-19 patients, especially those with severe symptoms, while also ensuring that our communities continue to receive the everyday healthcare they need.

In order to advance our initiatives to simultaneously prevent the spread of the virus and revitalize the economy, the city has compiled an economic stimulus worth 3.1 billion yen to be used for 29 projects as the fourth set of measures to support daily life and the economy. The stimulus includes measures that are crucial now more than ever, and we will continue to protect the lives of the city’s residents while also preserving the quality of their daily lives.

As part of our initiatives to protect residents and the healthcare system, in preparation for the anticipated increase in cases that will occur in the winter months, we will strengthen the healthcare and testing system at the holiday and night time emergency clinics. Furthermore, our infectious disease call center and the COVID-19 consultation center will be combined in order to provide 24 hour service, and the number of lines will double for a total of 80. In order to rapidly identify and prevent clusters, the Yokohama Active Epidemiological Investigation Team (Y-AEIT) that conducts on-site testing and offers guidance to prevent the spread of the virus will expand its personnel and enhance its testing system.

As part of our initiatives to protect the economy and livelihoods of residents, we will add 1,000 additional subsidies for small and medium-sized businesses to invest in equipment to prevent the spread of the virus. Additionally, we will add new subsidies for cultural and arts performances to implement prevention measures.

As a source of support for single-parent households who are struggling financially, the city will provide a temporary special benefit of 100,000 yen to single-parent households that are not receiving a child-rearing allowance in cases where the household’s income has greatly decreased due to the pandemic.

As winter arrives, we ask that everyone ventilates and manages the humidity in their spaces in order to avoid the air getting too dry, in addition to wearing masks and avoiding the “3 Cs.” With the year-end holidays, many people have plans to gather with family or friends. When meeting with family or friends, please make sure to limit the number of people and the length of your gathering in order to avoid the risk of spreading the virus.

The cooperation of each individual citizen and business is vital in order to get the explosive surge of new cases under control. Help our city overcome this challenging time together.