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2021 May 26 - June 1 [POLITICS]

Shii: Re-extension of state of emergency is result of gov't failure with anti-coronavirus measures

The Suga government on May 27 announced that it will re-extend the COVID-19 state of emergency in nine prefectures, including Tokyo and Osaka, until June 20. Japanese Communist Party Chair Shii Kazuo at a press conference in the Diet building said, "The government hasn't done what it should have done and this has resulted in the extension of the state of emergency."

Shii pointed out that despite a target of 10,000 monitoring tests a day, only 5,308 tests were the most recent figures the government announced. He said, "The target itself is insufficient in the first place, but not even the half of that was reached."

Shii claimed that the government "fails to do what it should do" such as providing subsidies for sustaining small businesses and providing rent support for the second time, and added that "that is why the state of emergency is dragging on".

He looked back on the last 16 months of the Abe and Suga governments' countermeasures, including the 3-month-long nationwide school closure and the distribution of cloth face masks dubbed Abenomasks, and pointed out that both administrations, while putting priority on the economy over people's safety with "Go To Eat" and "Go to Travel" campaigns, had neglected to take necessary PCR/immunization measures. He stated, "Everyone thinks of it as failure."

The third state of emergency was declared on April 25 with an initial expiration date of May11. The government extended the expiry date for another 20 days and extended it again to June 20.

Past related articles:
> Adequate compensation should be promptly provided to businesses adversely affected by coronavirus emergency in Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, and Hyogo [April 24, 2021]
> State of emergency lifted despite 1K new COVID positives daily [March 20, 2021]
> Shii comments on 2nd COVID state of emergency [January 8, 2021]
> JCP Koike criticizes gov't decision to review 'Go To' campaigns as too little, too late [November 22, 2020]
> JCP issues urgent proposal on reopening of schools [June 3, 2020]
> JCP Koike calls on gov’t to buy COVID-19 antibody testing kits rather than implementing ‘Abenomask’ plan [April 3 & 4, 2020]
> Koike: Public explanation regarding emergency declaration and adequate compensation needed April 7, 2020]