Dear YNU Students, Faculties and Administrative Staffs

September 30, 2021
UMEHARA Izuru
President, Yokohama National University

The national government’s state of emergency that took effect on August 2 of this year was lifted on September 30, and YNU has seen the number of Covid-19 cases, which had skyrocketed in August, drop sharply since the beginning of this month. The last day of on-campus vaccination at YNU is scheduled for October 13, meaning that by October 31, when the two-week period required to build immunity elapses for the last group of people receiving their second shot, some 4,000 YNU students, faculties and administrative staffs, (or 6,000 including the local community) will be protected. Meanwhile, as of September 28, the percentage of fully vaccinated people stood at approximately 53% of the total population, while about 63% have received one dose. The vaccination coverage in Kanagawa Prefecture is similar to coverage nationally according to the government website（ https://cio.go.jp/c19vaccine_dashboard (in Japanese)), and the rates from here on are expected to rise further across the country.

Under these circumstances, YNU has decided to lower the “Action Plan to Prevent the Spread of the Novel Coronavirus” from the current phase 2 to 1.5, effective from November 1. In line with this change, all fall semester classes starting October 5, which were to be held online in principle, will be conducted in-person starting November 1 with maximum Covid-19 safety measures in place, along with effective use of virtual learning modes. Extracurricular activities will be allowed on the condition that a detailed activity plan in the required format is submitted to YNU. Further information will be made available on the websites of your faculties and graduate schools.

The month of September has seen the number of new coronavirus cases in Japan decline. But the experiences of other countries have shown that the relaxation of infection control measures can lead to a surge in outbreaks even in countries with high vaccination rates, demonstrating that we cannot let our guards down. We ask everyone to continue to strictly follow basic Covid-19 prevention protocols, such as refraining from activities where droplet spray is likely, regardless of whether these activities involve alcohol consumption or are indoor or outdoor, with masks (preferably made from nonwoven fabric) properly worn.

It is possible that our policy may change depending on how the coronavirus situation unfolds, for example, in the event of a rapid spread of infection or medical services coming under strain. Please check YNU website for the latest updates.