戦没者追悼式、１９府県欠席　新型コロナ、高齢遺族配慮―厚労省

　厚生労働省は７日、政府主催で１５日に開かれる全国戦没者追悼式について、青森や大阪、沖縄など計１９府県の遺族代表が欠席すると発表した。新型コロナウイルスの感染拡大が続く中、遺族が高齢なことを各自治体が考慮したという。同省によると、悪天候の場合を除き、都道府県単位で遺族が欠席するのは初めて。
　厚労省は６月、感染防止に向けて追悼式の規模を初めて縮小する方針を公表した。開催場所は例年と同じ日本武道館（東京都千代田区）だが、参列者を最大１４００人とし、規模を昨年（約６２００人）の約２割にするとした。座席の間隔を空け、手指消毒の徹底を呼び掛けるとしていた。
　同省は遺族代表について、各都道府県当たり最大２０人（昨年５５人）とし、全国から最大計９４０人が参列すると想定。ただ、７日までに１９府県から欠席の連絡があった。参列予定の遺族は付き添いを含めて約４００人、来賓は約２００人で、昨年の１割弱の規模になる見込み。（2020/08/07-19:03）

Bereaved relatives from 19 of the 47 prefectures of Japan will skip this year's government-sponsored ceremony to mourn those who died in World War II, due to concerns over the novel coronavirus epidemic, the Health, Labor and Welfare ministry said Friday.
   It will be the first time for a specific prefecture not to send any bereaved relative to the Aug. 15 ceremony, except due to bad weather. The decisions by the 19 prefectures reflect many of the relatives being aged and therefore at higher risk from the virus at a time when infections are surging again across the country.
   The 19 prefectures are Aomori, Miyagi, Akita, Yamagata, Toyama, Fukui, Mie, Osaka, Hyogo, Wakayama, Tottori, Shimane, Ehime, Nagasaki, Kumamoto, Oita, Miyazaki, Kagoshima and Okinawa.
   In June, the ministry said the ceremony for this year, which marks the 75th anniversary of Japan's surrender in the war, will be scaled down as an infection prevention measure, with up to only 1,400 people allowed to attend, compared with some 6,200 participants in last year's ceremony.
   This year's event will be held at the regular venue of the Nippon Budokan hall in Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward. Attendees will be seated with space between them and will be urged to disinfect their hands thoroughly.