April 30 Message from the Mayor
I am Murayama, the mayor of Oizumi Town.
I would like to address town residents who have children enrolled at elementary or junior high school.
School closures have been extended through the end of next month, which must make it difficult at home. Oizumi Town has pledged to further protect human rights, and as a town without prejudice, we are especially implementing measures to protect children of healthcare professionals in education.
As you know, healthcare professionals are working hard to fulfill their mission as doctors and nurses while struggling in the face of concerns for their health and that of their family members. It is only because they are there that we can receive medical care with peace of mind. Our town government is implementing economic measures and providing support to the residents to alleviate the impact of COVID-19, but unlike medical professionals, we cannot cure and treat diseases or provide care for infected patients.
What the town officials can do working as one is to protect your most important family so that you can work with peace of mind, with no prejudice or bullying. We will continue to do our best so that you can play an active role in a safe environment.
As a new support measure, Oizumi Town has decided to order face shields and other equipment and distribute them to healthcare professionals working at medical institutions. This is because many healthcare professionals have recently complained about the lack of face shields and other equipment, as it is often said on TV that coronavirus can be transmitted through droplets. Responding to this, we have issued an instruction to implement the new measure today.
In addition, we have decided to distribute shopping vouchers to families with children living outside of town, such as university students, so that they can send food and other necessary supplies to such children.
Oizumi Town will continue to strive to provide detailed support. We will also listen to the opinions of many guardians and implement more support measures than ever before.
We intend to tackle the COVID-19 issues by implementing strict cost reduction measures and by always devising creative ways to spend more for the residents who are in trouble or for more effective measures.
April 30, 2020
Oizumi town mayor Toshiaki Murayama
Oizumi Town Web Site（external link）
April 27 Message from the Mayor
I am Murayama, Mayor of Oizumi Town.
Today, I would like to explain the current situation about measures against the New Corona Virus Infection to all of you.
On March 15th, I promised that my staff at Oizumi Town Hall and I would work hard to take measures against the New Corona Virus Infection. So we have announced 6 items and total 26 support projects we will take and those are now proceeding.
It is said that Oizumi Town can do more supports because the town has more finances and has a lot of companies. Actually we secured finances with inventive ideas and by doing many scrap and build from FY2014 to FY2018. As for the debt of the town, we have reduced borrowing the local bond. As the result, the balance of the local bond was reduced approximately \800M yen, which is the reduction of about \25,000 yen per one resident, for 5 years between FY2014 and FY2018. So we have been able to reduce the burden for the future. And then, by securing subsidy of the country sufficiently, we have allotted finances for the resident service.
Due to the New Corona Virus Infection, many residents, small and midium sized business and even large companies are facing economical difficulties. In such condition, we think to postpone constructing the new building of Oizumi Town Hall, even though earthquake-resistant is not applied to the current building, until this New Corona Virus problem is closed or there is an announcement that the problem ends.
Instead, we think to use our finances for the measures against the Corona problem.
As for support projects, face masks were distributed to all elderies aged 70 years old or higher and handicapped persons in the town on April 25th by Town Hall staff even though it was holiday. For pregnant mothers, we arranged that the pregnant mother can receive the face mask at the counter in Oizumi Health Welfare Center.
We have received concerns from many parents and guardians who have a primary school children and/or junior high school students that there is no chance to see their teachers after entering the school or knowing class formation and that academic ability of the child falls down. So we asked teachers to start home visit to see each child with distributing the face mask from today.
From now on, the organization members for childcare and we will discussed mental burden and/or economical burden of gurdians with hearing their opinions, a way to relieve stress for children and so on during this long recess, then we will take any actions we can do.
As the next action and announcement from Oizumi, we are going to support paramedics. As for carrying a patient of high fever or an infected patient of the New Corona Virus, there is risk that they will be infected the disease in the ambulance because of a small space. Even though such the risk condition about health damage for them and their family, they work hardly as key workers. So we would like to pay our special respect to them, and we have decided to distrubite the \5,000 yen of gift certificate which can be used in the town to them per dispatch. In addition, making of environment that police officers and fire-fighters who are social key workers can work at ease, we will install the sterilization apparatus with free loan in Oizumi Police Station and Oizumi Fire Station.
As as assistance measure to cut ourselves, we examine to cut our salary which are 10% of Mayor’s and other 2 major leaders’ in the town and 6% – 8% of our staff salary who are higher than an assistant section manager. The 3% of equivalency of those will be spent to purchase the gift certificate which can be used in the town for a prop and activation of the economy of the town. After making decision about this idea at the town council, this action will be taken from this October and ended in the next March.
Lastly, I would like to request all of you.
Please stay home during coming Golden Week and not going out.
Your appropriate behavior is the measure you should take for now against the New Corona Virus Infection.
Please take self-control in consideration of each other.
Your understanding and cooperation would be appreciated.
Thank you.
April 27th, 2020
Oizumi town mayor Toshiaki Murayama
April 20 Message from the Mayor the Oizumi Town life support package
I am Murayama, the Mayor of Oizumi Town.
First of all, I would like to thank all of you very much for your cooperation about measures against the New Corona Virus Infection.
Due to your cooperation, as of now, there is no additional infected person after total 5 of infected persons were found in our town on March 17th.
This result has been brought by your strong support even though there are many restrictions. Again, I deeply appreciate it.
However, the infection is spreading out in the nation wide, and 122 of persons have been infected as of today (April 19th) in Gunma. So I will keep having a sense of crisis and grapple with measures. On the other hand, I understand many residents have financial uneasiness. So the support measures against the New Corona Virus infection have been organzized in Oizumi as “Life Support Package”. Now, I would like to explain about 6 categories in the package.
The 1st one is about Medical. We have distributed about 10,000 pcs. of mask for the medical institutions and the welfare facilities since middle of March, for preventing the infection further, we will distribute the mask for children of elementary school, students of junior high school, elderies aged 70 years old and over, pregnant women, restaurants and food shops, barber shops and beauty salons. As for a welfare facility working for prevention of the infection, we will provide them with the Cooperation Money for Prevention of Infectious disease.
The 2nd is about Life. We will strengthen DV consultation, implement the Food Drive which is an activity of collecting surplus foods and providing them for a food bank and make a bridge loan for life reconstruction until an emergency small-lot loan is available.
The 3rd is about Employment. We will provide the Support Money to those who bear a lot of burden such as childcare workers, care staffs and health care workers by establishment and expansion of a system. We will also carry out lawyer consultation about dispatch cut (Haken-giri) or so on.
The 4th is about Business Support. Due to business suspension request and/or self-imposed control of going-out, a lot of business such as restaurants/food shops, barber shops, beauty salons and retail stores is facing severe management condition such as decreasing of sales. We plan to provide them with the Support Money.
The 5th is about Children. We will provide a lump sum payment and subscribe reading fees of Children Newspaper for a single-parent family as economical support. In addition, we will accept the school child care for the children of medical workers and/or care workers who live out side the town but work in the town.
The 6th is Resident support. We, town hall staff, have started time difference work. As for a certificate and/or a notification, we will post the way what and how you can do, such as on-line request, advance reservation, request by mail, into our web-site. We will inform you in detail with the public relations and/or web-site as soon as we are ready. Please check them.
Total 26 of projects in 6 categories which is the most in Gunma Prefecture are implemented for now, and we will keep increasing support projects more in the future if necessary.
“Hate Corona, but Not Hate People and Not Hurt People”
Let’s join everybody’s forces and get over this difficulty. Your cooperation would be appreciated.
April 20th, 2020
Oizumi town mayor Toshiaki Murayama
April 17 Message from the Mayor
This is a notification from Oizumi Town to all of residents.
Due to expansion of the Emergency Declaration based on New Influenza Special Mesure
Act to all prefectures in Japan, Governor of Gunma Prefecture, Yamamoto, has
demanded to implement the Emergency Measure in Gunma Prefecture as well.
Until May 6th(Wed), please do NOT go out (stay home) except things you need to maintain in your life such as going to a doctor, for buying foods and/or going for job.
In addition, all people are requested not going and coming other prefectures including 13 of specific caution prefectures particularly in principle.
In case Prefectural office asks business persons to suspend your business,
in order to prevent expansion of the Corona New Virus infection,
I would like to have all of your strong cooperation.
Let’s overcome this difficulties all together as “One Team”.
Thank you for your cooperation.
April 17th,2020
Oizumi town mayor Toshiaki Murayama
April 13 Message from the Mayor Could you do this?
Could you do this?
In spite of the threat of infection to
themselves, their family, person they love, or their friends,
physicians, nurses and care workers, despite the shortage in numbers, are working to protect others’ lives.
Having inner conflict between themselves and their mission,
they are frantically fighting.
Oizumi Town will work as one to back them up so that they will not lose their motivation facing any prejudice or slander.
We will do our utmost to protect you.
If by any chance you face prejudice, bullying, etc. at elementary/junior high school, children’s house, or any other places, we will respond to it and provide guidance right away.
April 13, 2020
Oizumi town mayor Toshiaki Murayama
April 8 Message from the Mayor We look forward to your continued cooperation in infection prevention.
Yesterday, a declaration of a state of emergency was issued for seven prefectures, including Tokyo.
The declaration of a state of emergency is issued for a specified region and period, and the prefectural governor of the target region is given the legal authority to set measures such as restricting going out other than for essential reasons, restricting the use of schools, etc., and restricting the holding of events, etc.
Although Gunma is not included in the scope of the declaration, we ask that the townspeople refrain from coming and going to and from the prefectures covered by the state of emergency. We also ask that they refrain from leaving their homes for unnecessary or non-urgent purposes, and continue their efforts to prevent infection.
Also, we ask all residents living in the seven prefectures to refrain from coming and going to and from our town.
April 8, 2020
Oizumi town mayor Toshiaki Murayama
March 19 Message from the Mayor（Updated at 6:00 pm）
While many people were identified to have close contacts with COVID-19 patients, many have been identified as negative.
In addition, there are cases of defamation, slander, and bullying based on unconfirmed information.
As a resident of the third town that enacted the “Human Rights Protection Ordinance for Removing All of Discrimination,” please pay particular attention to human rights.
“While you hate coronavirus, do not hate people, and do not hurt people.”
Oizumi Town has the smallest land area among the 35 municipalities, but desires to be kindest and the most compassionate town.
Thank you for your understanding and cooperation as a resident of Oizumi Town.
（P.S.）
Completely protect yourself against invisible COVID-19 by hand-washing, gargling, and coughing etiquette. Let’s make a concerted effort.
In the emotionally enriched town of Oizumi, there should be no such thing as prejudice.
March 19, 2020
Oizumi town mayor Toshiaki Murayama
March 15 Message from the Mayor
I am Murayama, the mayor of Oizumi Town. I would like to announce the following information for the residents of Oizumi Town.
On March 14, two people were confirmed to be infected with COVID-19 in our town. They are a doctor and his spouse, and there are 58 people who are said to have had close contact with the two. In order to protect you and your family’s health, I would like to ask you, the town residents, to thoroughly implement prevention measures such as hand-washing, gargling, indoor ventilation, and cough etiquette.
If you are concerned about your health, such as having a fever or coughing, please contact the Oizumi Town Health Promotion Division or Gunma Prefecture’s consultation counter.
Oizumi Town will do its best to prevent the spread of the infection, and we will make all-out efforts as a team of staff so that you can live in peace as soon as possible.
March 15, 2020
Oizumi town mayor Toshiaki Murayama
March 9 Message from the Mayor
In Gunma Prefecture, a COVID-19 case was first confirmed in Ota City on March 7.
At present, no cases of infection have been confirmed in our town, but since infections have been confirmed in Japan, we have been providing accurate information on infectious diseases to the townspeople, and are asking you to make efforts to prevent infection, such as hand-washing and cough etiquette.
Furthermore, to prevent infection, we have closed elementary and junior high schools, canceled events, and closed public facilities. We would like to express our deep gratitude for your understanding and cooperation.
You must feel less secure when you are exposed to various information such as on daily TV, in newspaper reports, and through SNS.
The town will continue to provide you with prompt and accurate information while keeping a close eye on the situation, and will take all possible measures in cooperation with the national and prefectural governments. I would like to ask for your calm response.
March 9, 2020
Oizumi town mayor Toshiaki Murayama