Joe Tomei here with the latest from Lily McDermott & Chase Sutherland, JET Program Prefectural Advisors for Kumamoto Prefecture.

Hello everyone,

Kumamoto Prefecture has once against raised its independent Risk Level, this time to the highest level, “Level 5”.

The prefecture is requesting residents to avoid all travel to other prefectures, effective tomorrow (24 April). Governor Kabashima said in the press conference announcing the change that he wishes for residents of Kumamoto to stay within the prefecture during Golden Week.

Furthermore, if the high level of infections persist, additional measures will be taken. For example, the prefecture is considering requesting business in certain areas to shorten their business hours (request closures by 9pm) as soon as May 1st, as well as potentially changing the plans regarding the Olympic torch relay scheduled to pass through Kumamoto on 5-6 May.

The prefecture believes that internal movement within Japan from other prefectures to Kumamoto during the end of and beginning of the fiscal year is responsible for much of the increase in cases.

The information has not yet been uploaded to the prefectural website, but here is a summary of the press conference on Yahoo News: https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/db6e4b5bf582da79b225b13fedd49e4fd63bc28b