March 6, 2021

The Suga government on March 5 decided to extend the 2-month-long state of emergency, which is set to expire on March 7, for another two weeks in Tokyo, Saitama, Chiba, and Kanagawa prefectures in order to flatten the curve of the COVID-19 spread.

Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide said, "The tight situation at hospitals has not improved enough," as a reason for the re-extension.

Japanese Communist Party Policy Commission Chair Tamura Tomoko later on the same day held a press conference in the Diet building and said, "The responsibility of the government is being questioned as to what it will do to resolve the overwhelming situations at medical facilities and to contain the spread of COVID-19 infections in two weeks."

Tamura criticized the government for having only asked the general public for “cooperation” in refraining from non-essential outings since it declared the state of emergency. She, on the previous day during an Upper House committee meeting, demanded that compensation to cover financial losses of earnings be immediately provided to hospitals. However, Health Minister Tamura Norihisa said in response, "I don't understand what you mean by saying 'loss of compensation'." Referring to this exchange, JCP Tamura at the press conference said, "I am very concerned that the government may not enhance the readiness of hospitals to deal with newly infected persons."

She added, "The government should make efforts to trace the locations of infection and should also present ways to curb the spread of COVID-19 in the coming two weeks. It should explain the necessary measures and the basis for the 2-week extension properly to the general public."

Past related article:
> JCP demands that extension of state of emergency be accompanied by adequate relief [February 3, 2021]