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2020 July 22 - 28 TOP3 [POLITICS]

Tokyo Governor despite COVID-19 spike in Tokyo refuses to answer questions in metropolitan assembly's ad hoc session

Japanese Communist Party members of the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly on July 27 criticized Tokyo Governor Koike Yuriko for never answering questions at the assembly's extraordinary session which was held amid the sharp increase in the number of COVID-19 positives in Tokyo and the rapid spread of infections nationwide.

The ad hoc session closed on the same day after approving a corona-related supplementary budget for which the JCP also voted. However, a JCP-submitted motion to set up a taskforce on coronavirus countermeasures was rejected by the "Tomin First no Kai" party, the Liberal Democratic Party, and the Komei Party.

JCP Assemblyperson Fujita Ryoko in her question time said, "The metropolitan government has only asked Tokyoites and Tokyo business operators to take 'self-responsibility' and has neglected to take effective and concrete measures."

Pointing out that Governor Koike set forth a vision of enhancing Tokyo's PCR testing capacity to 10,000 tests per day but so far in vain, Fujita said that the radical improvement of PCR testing capacity is vital.

Fujita pressed the metropolitan government to issue business suspension requests in combination with full compensation for loss of earnings in areas and industries where COVID-19 is spreading. She underscored the need to provide support to meet the needs of small shops and restaurants.

Fujita noted that experts commissioned by the metropolitan government have been pointing to medical capacity crunches, and demanded that medical facilities exclusively designated for COVID-19 treatment be secured by utilizing metropolitan-owned or publicly-owned hospitals, and that compensation be provided in order to make up for losses in hospital incomes.

Past related article:
> JCP calls for compensation to accompany business suspensions to address COVID-19 spike in Tokyo [July 14, 2020]