Osaka Prefecture’s decision Tuesday to ask groups of five or more people to refrain from visiting restaurants, bars and entertainment establishments has been met with skepticism over whether it will lead to a reduction in COVID-19 cases.
The new policy goes into effect beginning Saturday and is scheduled to end Aug. 20, just after the end of the annual Obon holiday season. Osaka Gov. Hirofumi Yoshimura made the decision after consulting with a local committee of health experts.
“The central government has asked that large groups of people avoid dining out. But a lot of younger people in particular are asking 'Well, what do you mean by large groups?'” Yoshimura explained. “In order to convey a clear message to younger people, we figured the time had come to ask them to refrain from going out in groups of a specific number of people.”
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