Going out hasn’t been the same since the Covid-19 pandemic. For close to two years, Tokyo has urged businesses, particularly restaurants, bars and large commercial facilities like department stores, to adhere to some form of restrictions including shortened business hours. Events and festivals that once gave this city its vibrancy were cancelled and, as alcohol sales were banned for months this year, Tokyo went into a sort of prohibition era.
All these restrictions on dining out and drinking were lifted last month on October 25 – for the first time this year, Tokyo is free of most restrictions. And as coronavirus cases plummet and the vaccination rate tops 75 percent of the population, the government plans on keeping Japan free of social restrictions to help revive the economy.
To do this, the government is looking to introduce a new system called the ‘vaccine-test package’. In theory, this allows people who have been fully vaccinated to attend events, dine out and patronise businesses during regular opening hours, without any restrictions. According to The Japan Times, this ‘vaccine-test package’ could also potentially allow businesses to continue to operate without restrictions even under a future state of emergency.
To prevent discrimination against people who are not vaccinated, the same benefits would also apply to those who can produce a negative Covid-19 test result. Those who are inoculated would need to provide proof of vaccination, showing that at least 14 days have passed since their second dose.
The government believes that this strategy could help minimise the prospect of a new wave of infections and in turn, soften the impact of the pandemic on local businesses. If implemented, the ‘vaccine-test package’ will be a key component in the Go to Travel subsidy campaign, which is expected to make a comeback in February next year.
The Covid-19 expert panel advising the government has greenlit the ‘vaccine-test package’. The government, however, could officially approve the plan by Friday.
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