Русский The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020 forced people to sharply curtail social interactions. Companies were pushed to adopt telework and schools to implement remote learning, helping transform how members of society work and study. However, the coronavirus has also severely impacted the economy and people’s physical and emotional wellbeing, factors that have exacerbated Japan’s already bleak demographic situation. It will require a concerted effort on the national and local levels to move the needle back into positive territory once life returns to normal. COVID-19 Driving Down Pregnancies At the end of 2020, the Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare released statistics on pregnancies through October that show how following the onset of the pandemic, the number of reported pregnancies in Japan has dropped compared with the previous year. The decline was particularly precipitous in May 2020, the month in which the government declared a state of emergency, with the number of reported pregnancies falling by 17.6%.