北海道、コロナ警戒引き上げ　感染拡大で対策要請

　北海道は２８日、新型コロナウイルスの感染状況に応じた５段階の道独自の警戒レベルについて、最も低いステージ１からステージ２に引き上げた。道内の新規感染者が増加し、ステージ移行の目安となる基準を超えたため。今後２週間を集中対策期間とし、新型コロナの特別措置法に基づき対策への協力を求める。
　ステージ２では、出勤の抑制や発熱など体調が悪い場合の外出自粛を要請。飲食を伴う場面での感染リスクを回避する行動を促し、特にクラスター（感染者集団）が相次ぐ札幌市内での徹底を呼び掛ける。（2020/10/28-12:22）

The government of Hokkaido raised on Wednesday the novel coronavirus alert from Stage 1, the lowest level under its five-tier COVID-19 warning system, to Stage 2, following a recent spike in infection cases in the northernmost Japan prefecture.
   The number of newly reported infection cases in the week to Tuesday stood at 291, far exceeding the threshold of 107 for lifting the alert to Stage 2. On Saturday, Hokkaido confirmed 60 new cases of the novel coronavirus, a record daily high in the prefecture.
   Planning to take intensive measures in the upcoming two weeks, the Hokkaido government will call on residents to cooperate in the fight against COVID-19 based on the special law on dealing with the epidemic.
   In Stage 2, the prefecture will ask residents to refrain from commuting to their workplaces and people with a fever or feeling ill to stay home. Residents will also be requested to avoid infection risks when eating and drinking in group settings. In particular, the prefecture will call for thorough measures to be implemented in Sapporo, the capital of Hokkaido, where a series of cluster infections have occurred recently.
   Hokkaido Governor Naomichi Suzuki told a news conference in Sapporo on Wednesday that Stage 2 is an "crucial phase" for promoting social and economic activities and at the same time stepping up efforts to prevent the spread of the virus.