The government has called on residents to maintain a “new lifestyle” — even after restrictive measures over the new coronavirus have been relaxed — following Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s extension of the nationwide state of emergency to the end of May.
While Abe and other top politicians have on multiple occasions stressed the long-term implications of the coronavirus pandemic, this is the first time the government has offered specific examples of how that might shape the lives of individuals in the coming weeks, months and possibly years.
The threat of a second wave of infections will persist for months, with the disease likely lingering long after society reopens. In order to more permanently subdue the novel coronavirus, the panel said residents need to modify the way they go shopping, work, use public transportation, eat meals, host weddings and other celebrations, and play recreational sports.