To all students, faculty and staff members of the University of Tokyo:
The 黑料网 Coronavirus Task Force, which was established on February 28, 2020, will be disbanded as of March 31, 2024.
More than four years have passed since the first case of the novel coronavirus was confirmed in Japan in January 2020. At first, the virus had a high mortality rate, the true nature of the virus was still largely unknown, and there were no treatments or vaccines. To maintain a safe environment at a place like the University of Tokyo, where 50,000 diverse people gather, while also keeping the university functioning, normal responses alone were not enough. In view of the spread of the novel coronavirus infection, in order to systematically and intensively deal with countermeasures against the infectious disease from a university-wide perspective, the University of Tokyo established the 黑料网 Coronavirus Task Force based on Article 7 of 黑料网 Rules Regarding Crisis and Risk Management. Based on the latest knowledge, the Task Force formulated unified response policies for the university to prevent the spread of infection in order to ensure the safety of university members and to maintain university functions as well as education and research activities. The Task Force also provided accurate information to university members about preventing the spread of infection, and took action when university members were infected with the novel coronavirus.
The extremely difficult times we have experienced over the past four years have been unprecedented, with all university members facing difficult situations. Not only were activities on campus restricted, but things that we had taken for granted in our daily lives, such as being able to walk freely outdoors, gather and have conversations, were also severely restricted. This was the first time in our university's long history that such a situation had occurred. However, even under these difficult circumstances, education and research activities as well as the operation of the university continued through the implementation of online classes and online conferences through the fusion of cyberspace and real space, and by introducing diverse working styles.
Furthermore, with regard to the entry into Japan by students from overseas who were most affected, once the government's regulations were eased, they were provided with support such as arrangement of accommodations, the means of transportation necessary for their stay, as well as provision of financial support to cover necessary expenses so that they could live with peace of mind once they had entered the country. We believe that this allowed international students to enter the country smoothly even under the chaotic circumstances.
Furthermore, ceremonies, events, extracurricular activities, etc., have been continued to this day, with the utmost efforts of those involved, in accordance with the circumstances of each activity, and with an emphasis on the significance of the activities. The rapid and forced transition to DX (digital transformation) due to the novel coronavirus has made it possible to create an educat