Nothing is more important than residents’ lives and health

Ozaki Haruo, president of the Tokyo Medical Association, recently declared a state of medical emergency as the “health care system is at risk of collapsing,” calling on every Tokyo resident to refrain from going out. This is an earnest plea from the frontlines of health care. Each of us must take this to heart, and thoroughly engage in actions to keep us from becoming infected or infecting others. Do not make non-essential or non-urgent outings. In case you have to go out, avoid the three Cs (closed spaces, crowded places, and close conversation), maintain 2 meters’ distance between people, and be sure to practice handwashing and cough etiquette. I strongly request that you uphold these practices.

I will say it again and again. There is nothing more important than the lives and health of Tokyo’s citizens. To ensure that, doctors, nurses, and other medical staff are working extremely hard on the frontlines in the fight against this infectious disease. So are people engaged in essential work to maintain our social lives, such as the supply of daily necessities and the logistics that supports it. They are working hard every day to fulfill their missions. The TMG personnel are also making strenuous efforts in their respective jobs. And, despite being put to tremendous inconvenience, the citizens and businesses have been extremely cooperative with us. As the governor of Tokyo, I would like to express my sincere gratitude and utmost respect to everyone.

When Goto Shinpei, who served as the seventh mayor of the city of Tokyo, was a Minister of Home Affairs bureaucrat, he implemented a large-scale border quarantine over a short period of time on about 230,000 soldiers returning from cholera-plagued China after the Sino-Japanese War. While coming under heavy criticism then, Goto resolutely carried through his mission and prevented the spread of the infection in the country. As the current governor of Tokyo, I am determined to take the lead and devote my energies so that Tokyo can come together to quickly overcome this difficult situation. Once again, I would like to ask for the understanding and cooperation of the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly members and the people of Tokyo.

Including the matters to which I have already referred, a total of eight bills have been presented to this extraordinary session of the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly, including two budget bills and two proposed ordinances, to be deliberated among the Assembly members.

This concludes my speech to the Assembly. Let’s overcome this difficult situation together. Thank you.