As the pandemic rages across the globe, it seems Japan’smove to a second State of Emergencyis imminent. The country has seen a recent spike in confirmed COVID-19 cases within the last two months. In order to tame the surge, reports suggest a State of Emergency might be ordered shortly, and recently announced efforts to curb COVID-19 may cause imminent anime delays.
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It wasn’t long ago that Japan made its first move to curb the surge when the governors of Tokyo, Saitama, Kanagawa, and Chiba came together to announce a joint plan. The executives agreed to implant plans to stave the COVID-19 surge ahead of any formal State of Emergency. These measures will begin on Friday and last until the end of January in a bid to restrict citizens from spreading COVID-19.
Currently, the plans ask residents to avoid any sort of travel unless absolutely necessary. Bars and restaurants will be asked to close early if not indefinitely through the emergency measure. The prefectures are also encouraging companies to work entirely from home when possible. If not, it is highly encouraged for companies to stagger work shifts to prevent employees from gathering in late groups.
These measures have been seen in Japan before. Last spring, the country did announced a formal State of Emergency which covered cities such as Tokyo. The measurers enacted forced anime studios to put a pause on production, so many shows were either delayed or went on hiatus. A number of films were also pushed back, so this January 2021 surge will likely impact movies such as Evangelion 3.0 + 1.0 and the final Gintama feature.
What do you think of this latest report out of Japan? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB.
