Coronavirus Restrictions to Ease in Lower House

The Yomiuri Shimbun

15:12 JST, April 22, 2023

Ruling and opposition parties agreed Friday to ease coronavirus-related restrictions in the House of Representatives from May 8.

During a board of directors meeting of the Committee of Rules and Administration of the lower house, parties also agreed to lift the current measure that limits attendance at plenary sessions to about half the members. Acrylic panels in the chamber will also be removed.

The Liberal Democratic Party, the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan and other parties in the lower house have divided their members into two groups since April 2020 and alternated attendance, except during voting, to avoid the “Three Cs”— closed spaces with poor ventilation, crowded places and close-contact settings.

All members of the House of Councillors are seated at a proper distance from each other as there is a sufficient number of seats in plenary sessions relative to the number of members.