Kashiwa City Community Newspaper 2021.02.15

The state of emergency has been extended

Contact: Disaster Prevention and Safety Division – Phone: 7167-1115, Fax: 7163-2188

The state of emergency has been extended to Sunday, March 7.

Large numbers of new Covid-19 cases are also continuing to be found in Kashiwa City. Now, when everyone has been exercising caution and self-restraint for such a long time, it is easy to become tired and lose one’s sense of vigilance. This is the time when we need your cooperation with the Covid-19 countermeasures once again to protect the lives of those closest to you.

A request to all Kashiwa City residents

●Please refrain from non-essential and non-urgent outings and travel at any time, including during the day. Please be especially careful to refrain from non-urgent and non-essential outings after 8:00pm.

●Please do whatever you can to avoid non-essential and non-urgent travel between prefectures and to areas with a large number of infections.

Things you can do to avoid the Covid-19 virus hidden in everyday situations

Everyone has a risk of contracting Covid-19. In order to reduce the risk, make a conscious effort to maintain a daily routine that lets you reduce the number of times you have direct contact with people.

Shopping

Try to limit your shopping trips for daily necessities to once every 3 days. When you go shopping, bring only one person or a small group of people into the store at a time. Avoid going shopping at times when there tend to be many shoppers. When you pay for your purchases, try to use an electronic payment method. Using touchless payment not only reduces contact, but it also alleviates crowding at the cash register.

Mealtimes

Masks need to be removed during mealtimes, so sharing a meal with others is considered to be a high-risk situation for transmission of Covid-19. During mealtimes, people also tend to relax and enjoy conversation while they eat. Try to keep your mealtimes silent. Put your conversation on hold until after dinner when you can wear a mask while you talk.

Use take-out or delivery services to enjoy the taste of restaurant food at home.

 

Chiba Prefecture Infection Prevention Measures Cooperation Fund (Part 2)

Contact: Chiba Prefecture Covid-19 Countermeasures Cooperation Fund Call Center

Phone: 0570-003894 (9:00am to 6:00pm)

Business operators who cooperated with Chiba Prefecture’s request for implementation of measures to prevent the spread of Covid-19 will be provided with a payment in turn for their cooperation.

Eligibility

Businesses that normally operate past 8:00pm.

(1) Restaurants serving alcoholic beverages, that cooperated with the request for reduction of business hours between January 8 and February 7.

(2) Restaurants not serving alcoholic beverages, that cooperated with the request for reduction of business hours between January 12 and February 7.

(3) Restaurants that cooperated with the request for reduction of business hours between January 16 and January 26 and extended the measures until February 7.

Payment Amount

(1) = A maximum payment of 1,860,000 yen, (2) = A maximum payment of 1,620,000 yen, (2) = 780,000 yen

For more information on eligibility criteria and how to apply, please visit the Chiba Prefecture website.

▲Access the Chiba Prefecture website here

 

The My-Na-Point (Individual Number Card Points) period has been extended

Contact: Citizens’ Division – Phone: 7167-1128, Fax: 7160-1036

The period to use the Individual Number Card Points system has been extended until the end of September. An application will be required in advance to use the system.

Eligibility

People who have applied for their Individual Number Card by Wednesday, March 31.

Other

Identification photos and other assistance with the application is available at the Citizens’ Division (City Hall Main Building, 1st Floor)

For more information on the Individual Number Card Point system application process, please visit the city website.

▲Access the Kashiwa City website here

What are Individual Number Card Points?

The Individual Number Card Point system can be used by registering a cashless payment service in advance, such as credit cards, electronic money or smartphone payment apps. When you make a purchase with the cashless payment service, you can receive 25 percent (up to 5000 yen worth of points) from the purchase amount. The points can be used toward purchases made using the cashless payment service.

Have you completed your application to receive children’s early education and day care free of charge?

Contact: Information Service for Free Day Care: Phone: 7128-6881                   

Nursery School Administration Division - Phone: 7167-1137

A benefit is available to make children’s day care free of charge. In order to receive this benefit starting from Thursday, April 1, you must receive approval for a “Facility Usage Benefit” in March. Approval for the benefit, and the maximum benefit amount will depend on the facility you are using, and the circumstances of your household. Please verify your circumstances ahead of time.

Eligible household circumstances

1 Child day care is necessary = Households struggling with childcare in the case of both parents working, illness, pregnancy, etc.

2 Child day care is not necessary = Households with a stay-at-home parent.

Please complete your application for free day care as soon as possible

The “Facility Usage Benefit” is obtained through an application for approval to receive the child day care for which you are eligible free of charge. It is separate from the nursery school entrance application that is already being used. To confirm the deadline for the Facility Usage Benefit approval application, please contact the facility you are using.

For application forms, and other information, please visit the Kashiwa City website.

▲Access the Kashiwa City website here.

 

Facility	Household Circumstances	Child’s Classification	Maximum amount of day care fees covered by benefit (monthly) -Note 1	Application for free day care
Authorized Nursery Schools, Authorized Kodomo En Day Care (Type 2 and 3), Small-Scale Day Care Facilities, day care within places of employment, home-operated day care, home-visit day care services	1	Children age 0 to 2 from households exempt from municipal tax	Full amount	Not required
		Children age 3 to 5
Authorized Kodomo En Day Care (Type 1)	2	Children age 3, and from age 3 to 5
Kindergartens (facilities eligible for private school subsidy)			25,700 yen	Facility Usage Benefit Type 1 Approval
Kindergartens (other than those above)			Full amount	Not required
After-hours child-minding at kindergartens and Authorized Kodomo En Day Care Centers	1	Children age 3 to 5	11,300 yen	Facility Usage Benefit Type 2 Approval
		Children age 3 from households exempt from municipal tax	16,300 yen	Facility Usage Benefit Type 3 Approval
Facilities other than authorized day care facilities -Note 2		Children age 0 to 2 from households exempt from municipal tax	42,000 yen
		Children age 3 to 5	37,000 yen	Facility Usage Benefit Type 2 Approval

▶Note 1: The benefit to provide free day care only covers the monthly day care usage fees. It does not cover the cost of lunches and activities (fees and programs will be different for each facility).

▶Note 2: Facilities other than authorized day care facilities (including Kashiwa City Day Care Rooms) that report to the city, temporary day care services, day care programs for children with illnesses, Family Support Center programs and babysitters.

 

Test broadcast of the emergency broadcast system

Contact: Disaster Prevention and Safety Division – Phone: 7167-1115

A test broadcast will be done on Wednesday, February 17 at 11:00am. The broadcast will be done simultaneously from 190 points across the city.

Broadcast content

Chime → “This is a test of J-alert” (broadcast 3 times) → “This is Disaster Prevention Kashiwa” → Chime

Other

▶The test broadcast may be cancelled depending on the weather, or if a disaster occurs.

▶The broadcast may be done at the same time in neighboring cities.