The Act on Special Measures Concerning Covid-19 was enacted in the Diet of Japan on March 13, and took effect on the following day.  This Act authorizes the prime minister of Japan to declare a state of emergency, and upon declaration, authorizes prefectural governors to take emergency measures, such as restrictions on the use of facilities used by a large number of people.  As of the date of this newsletter, a state of emergency has not been declared under the COVID-19 Special Measures Act yet, and at the time of writing, we cannot predict whether such a declaration will made soon given the current spread of COVID-19 in Japan.  This newsletter briefly explains the COVID-19 Special Measures Act.