緊急事態宣言、首都圏・大阪に発令　６都府県に拡大、月末まで

　政府は２日、新型コロナウイルス対策の緊急事態宣言を埼玉、千葉、神奈川、大阪の４府県に発令した。宣言に準じた「まん延防止等重点措置」から切り替わった。期限は今月末まで。宣言対象は発令中の東京都、沖縄県と合わせ６都府県に拡大した。
　北海道、石川、京都、兵庫、福岡の５道府県には新たに重点措置を適用。期限は同じく今月末まで。宣言、重点措置の地域では、飲食店に午後８時までの営業時間短縮を要請する。酒類提供は、宣言下では一律停止。重点措置の区域では原則停止とし、「感染が下降傾向」の場合に限り、一定の感染対策を講じることなどを条件に午後７時まで認める。
　自治体の要請に応じない店舗も目立つため、見回りを強化し、実効性向上に取り組む。路上や公園での飲酒の自粛も引き続き求める。
　夏休みを迎える中、政府は人の流れの増加が感染拡大につながることを警戒。不要不急の外出自粛やテレワークへの協力も呼び掛ける。東京五輪は自宅でテレビなどで観戦するよう求める。若い世代へのワクチン接種に力を入れ、今月末までに全国民の４割が２回接種を終えることを目指す。（2021/08/02-00:05）

The Japanese government Monday expanded its novel coronavirus state of emergency, which has been in place in Tokyo and the southernmost prefecture of Okinawa, to three prefectures neighboring Tokyo--Saitama, Kanagawa and Chiba--and the western prefecture of Osaka.
   Saitama, Chiba, Kanagawa and Osaka had been in a pre-emergency stage over the epidemic until Sunday. The state of emergency for the six prefectures will last until Aug. 31. The emergency for Tokyo and Okinawa was earlier planned to end Aug. 22.
   On Monday, the government also put five prefectures in a pre-emergency stage that will be effective until the end of August. The five are Hokkaido, northernmost Japan, Ishikawa in central Japan, Kyoto and Hyogo in western Japan, and Fukuoka in southwestern Japan.
   Eating and drinking establishments in state of emergency and pre-emergency areas are requested to close by 8 p.m. Facilities in state of emergency areas are banned from serving alcoholic beverages. In pre-emergency areas, the serving of alcohol is prohibited in principle, but is allowed until 7 p.m. on condition of certain infection prevention measures being in place only if new infection cases are on a declining trend.
   Local government officials are expected to visit eating and drinking facilities more frequently to make sure that they follow the requests related to operating hours and alcohol. People will continue to be asked to refrain from drinking alcohol on streets and at places such as parks.