ACCJ Virtual Town Hall - April 17, 2020
The ACCJ is now conducting virtual town halls every week, featuring the ACCJ Crisis Response Team (CRT) and rotating speakers.
The CRT hosted the following speakers during the virtual town hall on Friday, April 7:
Karin Lang, Minister-Counselor for Consular Affairs and Consul General, U.S. Embassy
Anton Kort, Senior Regional Security Officer, Police Liaison & Security Affairs, U.S. Embassy / Overseas Security Advisory Council Co-Chair
Dr. Thomas Lomax, Medical Doctor at Tokyo Medical and Surgical Clinic
Read on for a summary of their remarks.
Peter Fitzgerald, ACCJ President
Thank you for joining us today. Staying connected takes on even greater importance as we continue to abide by social distancing measures during the state of emergency, and our town halls help us stay connected. We must keep sharing both our successes and hurdles as we navigate new realities. Many businesses and organizations are not set up to telework, but our conversations shed light on the ways we are adapting to challenges and how we can support each other.
Our latest membership survey revealed that most companies now have mandatory work from home policies. Some are coping with employees who have tested positive and are seeking support from government and non-government resources. As we see neighboring countries slowly reopen their economies, businesses are keeping an eye on the horizon, understanding that the next challenges lie with reopening at the right time and adjusting to new ways of doing business. In the meantime, all we can do is maintain business continuity while being safe and helping others stay safe, make the tough decisions necessary for long-term viability and sustainability, and prepare for a new normal.
Japan is adjusting to this reality, which has accelerated digitization in the country. Japanese society is responding in real-time to powerful learning opportunities, and the ACCJ is positioned to help drive systemic change for the next waves of business growth. Your active participation is a testament to the agility and flexibility in the business community – we have had over 50 virtual events with over 1,200 members and guests. Japan is moving toward a digital economy, and you are all a part of that. Thank you to everyone who has generously given their expertise and time and helped make our transition a success. As always, we welcome your feedback. Please reach out anytime.
Christopher LaFleur, ACCJ Chairman
There are two points I would like to share. First, Japan has made great strides recognizing the severity of COVID-19 and implementing mitigating actions. Some of the early uncertainty has been alleviated by the nationwide state of emergency, as more individuals and organizations take decisive action to support mitigation measures. It appears there is a high degree of compliance with government directives and requests. Stemming the infection rate depends on collective action, and as members, we should do whatever we can to set a good example.
Second, the success of our virtual events and continued operations has proven that the existing technology is quite capable of supporting a significant percentage of normal events. I encourage our committee leaders to keep thinking about potential virtual events as we further the business of the Chamber. The ACCJ community has an opportunity to emerge from the crisis in a stronger position to take advantage of future opportunities.
Michael Alfant, Chair of ACCJ Emergency Disaster Response Advisory Council
We encourage all members to tune in to the weekly SME roundtable, presented by the ACCJ SME CEO Advisory Council, to learn about the most pressing issues facing SME in Japan.
Laura Younger, ACCJ Executive Director
Please continue to check our website for the latest information related to COVID-19.
BCN updates:
We continue to post the latest developments and are making an effort to provide translations.
If you missed an event, webinar summaries are available.
Since the ACCJ suspension of in-person events on February 27, we have held over 50 virtual events with more than 1,200 participants.
Town halls will be held weekly on Fridays to share updates and answer questions.
Thank you to our President’s Circle members Cisco and Google, as we transitioned to their platforms four ACCJ events and meetings.
Karin Lang, Minister-Counselor for Consular Affairs and Consul General, U.S. Embassy
Although Japan has extended its state of emergency nationwide, our advice remains the same. We strongly encourage that all U.S. citizens comply with regulations implemented by local authorities. The U.S. Embassy and consulates throughout Japan remain open and staffed with access restrictions and limited routine operations. Emergent services remain available. International flights continue to decline, and further reductions are scheduled for May. The U.S. has no plans to stage repatriation flights; if you are not prepared to stay in Japan indefinitely, we recommend returning while flights are still available.
Anton Kort, Senior Regional Security Officer, Police Liaison & Security Affairs, U.S. Embassy / Overseas Security Advisory Council Co-Chair
The Embassy continues to assess overall enterprise risk using quantifiable metrics, such as the number of cases. It is worthwhile noting that Minato-ku has the highest number of cases in Tokyo in terms of population density. We are evaluating two main risk indicators as we continue our operations: international transportation viability, which is operating at a 6% capacity; and the infrastructure of the Japanese healthcare system. In addition, we are monitoring ambient risk indicators such as freedom of movement, the overall security environment, and access to basic goods.
United States Forces Japan has declared a public health emergency for all of Japan and remains in effect until May 15. This declaration only affects U.S. military personnel, employees, and installations.
Dr. Thomas Lomax, Medical Doctor at Tokyo Medical and Surgical Clinic
Japan is experiencing an increase in the number of cases and mortality rates. Although the pace of new cases is slower than in other countries, the government response still lags. Repurposing facilities for medical care and augmenting capacity for intensive care should be prioritized, given that an upsurge of acute cases is likely in the next two weeks.
The main problems people are encountering are access to outpatient medical care and hospital rejections. Many hospitals are hesitant to admit patients with fevers due to shortages in PPE. Inpatient care has improved after policies were revised not to hospitalize patients exhibiting mild or moderate symptoms and allow them to be cared for at home or in dedicated outpatient facilities such as hotels. Concerns persist over access to intensive care beds due to the low number of available beds.
Webinar Questions & Answers
What treatments are available for COVID-19, especially for those with more severe symptoms?
There is no proven cure. The drugs being prescribed are experimental. However, we know that those with acute symptoms need respiratory support, and those in worse conditions require ventilation. To effectively treat those with severe symptoms, there needs to be sufficient capacity for ventilation – both in equipment and people.
What is the likelihood of an extended state of emergency?
It is hard to say, but it would not be surprising if it is extended.
Where can I go for emergencies not related to COVID-19?
In general, patients are being treated by their providers. With few exceptions, hospitals are still accepting patients. Ensure you contact the hospital ahead of time to learn how they are handling patients, given that their policies are subject to change.
There are efforts to minimize the risk of COVID-19 infections by partitioning areas within the hospital.
Should individuals with low fevers be permitted to return to work [in the office]?
It is difficult to comment on individual cases without a diagnosis. The general guideline for returning to work after displaying COVID-19 symptoms (respiratory issues and a fever above 37.5 degrees Celsius) is the individual should be symptom-free for seven days.
