Consideration of the Regional Concept of COVID-19 Movement Restrictions

As part of the movement restrictions imposed to curtail the spread of COVID-19, Japanese residents were requested to refrain from travel between prefectures. This paper considers these movement restrictions from a regional point of view. Regions where COVID-19 infection is widespread are considered to be uniform. One of the main factors in the spread of Covid-19 is human mobility. The range of human activity is considered to be the nodal point. However, when movement regulations were established by the government, they were imposed on a formal regional basis, using prefectural borders as clear boundaries, although there were no means of legal enforcement. This resulted in a regional discrimination, that was particularly detrimental to rural areas. This paper proposes that movement restrictions based on the concept of each nodal region of movement within the sphere of daily necessities are realistic in cases where legal enforcement is not in play.