Message from the Mayor regarding the extension of COVID-19 priority preventive measures (2021.5.10)

The priority preventive measures in place for Kanagawa Prefecture have been extended until May 31, and the prefecture has resolved to continue requesting the all-day suspension of alcoholic beverage service in the designated area.

The City of Yokohama will direct public facilities to close by 8 p.m. and events to end by 9 p.m., as well as limit attendance at city-organized or co-organized events to a maximum of 5,000 people.

Since the COVID-19 priority preventive measures came into effect on April 20, Yokohama saw new daily infections rise to a height of 148 cases on May 22 at the peak, and they have remained at around 100 per day. Across Kanagawa Prefecture, those infected with variant strains passed 1,000 on May 6. While in March, variant strain infections were identified as just under 10%, they have currently surged to nearly 50%, and the situation demands heightened vigilance.

With the cooperation of local doctors, Yokohama, primarily through Y-CERT, is coordinating hospitalizations, transfer, and transport to and from hospitals smoothly. The city will continue to provide robust support to residents by ensuring sufficient medical care and consultation is available, and will prepare for a possible further spread of infections.

The long term care facility vaccinations that began on April 12 have currently, as of May 6, administered nearly 8,300 vaccines at 39 locations. The mass vaccinations that will take place at public assembly halls and sports centers in each ward will begin at Aoba Sports Center on May 17, and at all 19 current locations starting May 19. Starting June 7, the city will expand venues with another 21 locations.

Today (May 10) starting at 9 a.m., residents can once again book appointments online or by phone.
To help residents book appointments smoothly, 20 lines have been added, and the maximum expanded to 400 lines.

Starting May 24, individual vaccinations will begin at 13 local health care facilities. We will gradually expand capacity, and plan to administer up to nearly 77,000 shots at around 1,000 locations every week.

The city will continue to commit its full efforts to ensure that everyone who wishes to get vaccinated can do so with peace of mind.

Even during the long holiday period, residents and businesses cooperated with requests to observe basic measures to prevent infection, refrain from outings, reduce business hours, suspend alcoholic beverage service all day, and implement restrictions at events. I would also like to thank health care workers for their efforts, not only in caring for inpatients, but for providing care at emergency clinics operating during the holidays and at night. To all of you, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude.

Yokohama will continue to work closely with the national and prefectural governments as well as health care facilities to protect the lives and livelihoods of all our residents. In addition, we will provide thorough support to restaurants and other businesses that are facing extremely challenging situations due to the prolonged request to shorten their business hours.

This is a critical time as the priority preventive measures are extended over the next 20 days to curb the spread of infections. I ask once again that citizens and businesses continue to observe basic preventive measures, such as refraining from nonessential and non-urgent outings, shortening business hours, and suspending all-day alcoholic beverage services.

There is no rain that does not stop. I hope you will all help us to overcome this challenging time together.

Thank you.