From the National Governors’ Association – Make this a summer for protecting ourselves, our families, and our homelands!

Be cautious when taking trips across prefectural lines!

• We’re headed into Japan’s summer vacation and O-bon holiday season. Please take into account COVID-19 infection levels, consult with family and friends, and be cautious when making any decisions to cross prefectural borders for unnecessary reasons, including for travel, visits to relatives, and business purposes.
• In particular to prevent the spread of infections between different regions, as a rule, please halt or postpone any movement to areas under a declaration of a state of emergency, areas under stricter control and containment measures (“manbo”), or other such regions.
• Should you need to cross prefectural lines for a necessary matter, be sure to thoroughly work to prevent infection and further spread at your destination.

Cheer on the Olympics from home!

• In order to prevent the spread of infection to Olympic athletes and the rest of the world, please watch the events on TV with your family at home so we can cheer on these athletes while also protecting our health.

Let’s take our infection prevention to the next level!

• We must be vigilant against COVID variants such as the highly infectious Delta variant. Until the majority of people get the vaccine, please continue to wear non-woven face masks and work to avoid the Three C’s (closed spaces, crowded places, close contact).When at dinner parties and events, please refrain from making loud voices and otherwise causing a commotion, as that could lead to the spread of droplets and thus being infected.
• When eating with others, please eat at places that have been designated as restaurants that follow the COVID guidelines. Also, please be sure to only eat in small parties, only stay for a short time, wear a mask when not eating or drinking, refrain from commotion, and otherwise thoroughly carry out prevention measures.
• Please make use of flex-time work schedules and teleworking systems in order to decrease the amount of people out and about.

Cooperate with requests from prefectural governments!

• Please do as much as possible to comply with requests like refraining from unnecessary outings and reducing business hours and alcohol-serving hours at restaurants.
• Please cooperate in investigations done to reduce the spread of infection, including those at public health centers at your destination.

July 11, 2021

National Governors’ Association