A joint message from the seven prefectures of Tohoku and Niigata in hopes of suppressing the 5th wave of COVID-19 - Prevent the collapse of the healthcare system

The Delta strain of COVID-19 has led to another spread of the virus around the country at a much quicker rate than ever before. Day by day, the situation grows ever more dire throughout the country. Within the Tohoku region and Niigata prefecture, we are seeing a new peak in hospital bed usage rates and weekly infection cases. We are facing a crisis-level situation that we have never experienced before.

Should this situation continue, the healthcare system, which has been held up by the hard work of medical professionals, is in danger of collapse, in which case lives that could be saved may be lost. Within each prefecture, we have already made formal requests to residents, but we would like to once again ask for your cooperation in the following items.

Through the awareness and action of every resident, Tohoku and Niigata will work together to bring an end to the fifth wave of COVID-19.

1. Do not cross prefectural borders

The highly infectious Delta variant continues to spread throughout the country. While there is a State of Emergency and/or strict containment measures (manbo) in place, we strongly advise that you do not move across prefectural borders for unnecessary reasons. Should you need to cross the border for some reason, work diligently to prevent the spread of the virus at your destination, and take a PCR test before you go.

2. Take the vaccine, and thoroughly enact basic prevention measures

It is clear that the vaccine prevents severe symptoms of the COVID-19 virus. Please take it as soon as you can.
However, there is still a risk of infection even after receiving the vaccine, so we ask that you continue to thoroughly enact basic preventative measures such as wearing a non-woven mask, wash hands frequently, disinfect, conduct coughing etiquette, and avoid the three C’s (closed space, crowded places, and close contact).
We also ask that you avoid gatherings of large people for long amounts of time, like dinner parties. Even during small gatherings for quick periods, please avoid raising your voice and causing a commotion, as it could lead to infection via droplets.

August 31, 2021

Governor of Aomori Prefecture Mimura Shingo

Governor of Iwate Prefecture Tasso Takuya

Governor of Miyagi Prefecture Murai Yoshihiro

Governor of Akita Prefecture Satake Norihisa

Governor of Yamagata Prefecture Yoshimura Mieko

Governor of Fukushima Prefecture Uchibori Masao

Governor of Niigata Prefecture Hanazumi Hideyo

Mayor of Sendai City Koori Kazuko

Mayor of Niigata City Nakahara Yaichi