In an attempt to stifle a burgeoning fourth wave of the coronavirus, the central government announced Friday that countermeasures imposed in parts of the country earlier this month will be expanded to Kanagawa, Chiba, Saitama and Aichi prefectures.
Effective Tuesday until May 11, restaurants and other dining establishments have been asked to close by 8 p.m. — and residents urged to stay indoors and avoid travel — in the cities of Yokohama, Kawasaki and Sagamihara in Kanagawa; Funabashi, Ichikawa, Matsudo, Kashiwa and Urayasu in Chiba; Saitama and Kawaguchi in Saitama; and Nagoya.
"Measures restricted in both time and location are necessary to stop the increasing spread of the virus," Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato said on behalf of Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, who is currently on a diplomatic trip to the United States, during a government coronavirus taskforce meeting Friday. "Moving forward, regional surges need to be contained in order to prevent a nationwide wave."