Tokyo’s governor Yuriko Koike has called out live music venues and nightlife locations as hot beds for spreading Covid-19, though they have not been forced to close.
At a press conference on Monday, Koike warned Tokyo’s 14 million people to avoid music venues, bars, clubs and karaoke parlours as they are high-risk areas due to poor ventilation in closed spaces.
Koike said the government was “asking that residents refrain from going out in the evenings, and to refrain from all unnecessary outings at the weekend” until April 12.
The news comes after Covid-19 cases shot up to 443 in the past week, leading the Japanese government to say it will continue to monitor the situation carefully, without mention of a lockdown for now.
Covid-19 has forced many corners of the globe to shutter bars, restaurants and music venues to halt the spread of the virus, though in Japan these places have largely stayed open.
Last week, the summer Olympics in Tokyo were rescheduled to next year due to the pandemic and will now take place from July 23 to August 8, 2021.
More than 4.4 million Olympic tickets were sold in Japan following two domestic lotteries, and Tokyo 2020 has now assured those ticketholders that they would be refunded if they cannot make the new dates that correspond to their tickets.
In addition, Live Nation announced Monday that it was cancelling Halsey’s Japan Tour, which was scheduled for May 7 at the Garden Theater in Tokyo.
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