March 31, 2020 Request for the Provision of Statistical Data that Contributes to Preventing the Spread of New Coronavirus Infections

The Cabinet Secretariat, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC), the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW), and the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) are requesting that platform operators and telecommunications carriers provide statistical data, etc., which will contribute to preventing the spread of new coronavirus infections.

With the threat of new coronavirus infections, it is important to minimize the number of infected, seriously ill and dead and preventing an explosive spread (overshoot) of infected people, by taking measures, such as ascertaining the spread of infections by region, and their risks, providing accurate information, ensuring social distancing and containing cluster (people connected with the patients) outbreaks.

By utilizing statistical data (e.g., data collected by statistical tabulation and analysis of user mobility and service usage history) controlled by platform operators and telecommunications carriers, which can contribute to preventing infections by providing an understanding of people’s movements by region, and allowing the early detection of clusters, it will be possible to do the following:
  • Verify the effectiveness of policies to ensure self-restraint in terms of going out and social distance
  • Verify the effectiveness of policies implemented as cluster countermeasures
  • Improve the system of cluster policies to be implemented in the future

Through the above, it is believed that policies to prevent an increase in infections can be implemented more effectively.

As such, today the Cabinet Secretariat, MIC, MHLW, and METI are requesting that platform operators and telecommunications carriers provide statistical data, etc., which will contribute to preventing the spread of new coronavirus infections, to the government of Japan.

Contact

For further information about this press release, please fill in the inquiry form and submit it to MIC on the website
https://www.soumu.go.jp/common/english_opinions.html

International Policy Division, Global Strategy Bureau, MIC

TEL: +81 3 5253 5920

FAX: +81 3 5253 5924