Message from the Mayor (as of 5/14/2021)

Since the end of April, COVID-19 cases in Hiroshima City have risen sharply and the spread of infection shows no signs of stopping with over 100 news cases every day this week. As such, the national government has declared a state of emergency (SOE) for Hiroshima Prefecture from May 16-31, based on the Act on Special Measures for Pandemic Influenza and New Infectious Diseases Preparedness and Response.

Currently, the Hiroshima prefectural government has formally requested that dining establishments offering alcoholic beverages in downtown Hiroshima City shorten their business hours as part of our Intensive COVID-19 Prevention Measures. However, as we are now in SOE, discussions are being held about the emergency measures which will be carried out for the duration of SOE.

Working in cooperation with the prefecture, the City of Hiroshima has ordered, as a rule, that all city-managed facilities currently closed or operating under shortened hours to close in order to stem the spread of infections during SOE.

In addition, in order to work towards the early detection of new patients and provide them with the appropriate medical care, the Health Promotion Division is working with health outreach workers in ward health centers to conduct epidemiological surveys of patients and provide patient transport. With the sudden sharp rise in patients since the end of April, we have increased the number of staff by about 50, and plan to further strengthen our staffing system by adding 20 or so additional staff members in the days to come.

We are currently carrying out infection prevention measures under the philosophy that is it the role of city government to carry out measures set down by both the national and prefectural governments steadfastly and without fail, but this is a role that we, as a local government, cannot fulfil completely on our own. Understand that the realization of our goal is predicated on the cooperation of our citizens.

I once again ask each and every one of you to bear in mind that COVID-19 is a powerful virus that anyone is capable of catching; behave accordingly. I especially ask that you avoid all unnecessary outings in order to reduce person-to-person contact during SOE.

While this means that even meetings between friends and close acquaintances must be restricted, we cannot overcome this dire crisis without solidarity among our citizens, and so I strongly ask for the continued cooperation of all our citizens and our businesses.

MATSUI Kazumi
Mayor
The City of Hiroshima