菅首相、感染抑止へ「重要局面」　尾身氏「正しい選択」―緊急事態宣言延長・参院委

　参院予算委員会は４日午前、菅義偉首相と全閣僚が出席して２０２１年度予算案に関する基本的質疑を続行した。首相は、新型コロナウイルス対策で緊急事態宣言を発令中の１都３県の状況について「感染症を抑え込むために大変重要な局面にある」と強調。７日までの期限を２週間程度、再延長する必要があるとの考えを改めて示した。自民党の徳茂雅之氏への答弁。
　徳茂氏は「飲食、観光業を中心に一刻も早く緊急事態宣言を解除してほしいという声もある」と指摘。首相は「専門家や関係者の意見も十分聞いた上で、最終的に判断したい」と語った。
　これに関し、政府の新型コロナ対策分科会の尾身茂会長は「首都圏はリバウンドの可能性が他の地域より高い。延長の方向性は正しい選択だ」と評価。感染再拡大の要因になり得る行事として卒業旅行や謝恩会、花見の宴会を挙げ、「自治体、国のリーダーの強いメッセージ、一般市民の協力が必須だ」と述べた。日本維新の会の片山大介氏への答弁。（2021/03/04-12:37）

Tokyo and three nearby prefectures are in a "crucial stage" to contain COVID-19 infections, Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said Thursday, as the government plans to extend its ongoing state of emergency over the pandemic in the metropolitan area.
   At a House of Councillors Budget Committee meeting, Suga reiterated the view that it is necessary to extend the state of emergency, currently set to expire on Sunday, for around two weeks. Suga was responding to a question from Masayuki Tokushige of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party.
   Tokushige cited calls mainly from the restaurant and tourism industries for lifting the state of emergency as soon as possible. Suga said, "We will make the final decision after listening fully to the opinions of related experts and concerned parties."
   Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato told a press conference on the day that a possible two-week extension of the state of emergency is not linked to the start of the Tokyo Olympics torch relay on March 25.
   "The torch relay or the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics are not factored into discussions on the state of emergency at all," Kato stressed.