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 Speaking at a coronavirus meeting on Monday to discuss plans for the
much-criticized travel campaign, Suga said he would temporarily halt
the programme from Dec. 28 to Jan. 11.
The premier also said the capital Tokyo, Osaka, Sapporo and Nagoya,
where infections have been rising, would be removed as eligible
destinations for the travel campaign until Dec. 27.
He even urged those departing these cities to refrain from using the
travel subsidy campaign.
"We will take the utmost measures to prevent further spread of
infections at the year-end and the New Year, to ease the burdens at
medical institutions and to make sure everyone can spend a calm new
year," he told the meeting.
The suspension marks a major shift in strategy by Suga who has
insisted on the merit of and need to stay with the campaign to help
revive the economy, much to the consternation of some critics who
believe it may help spread the virus.
Earlier on Monday, top government spokesman Katsunobu Kato said that
while the government aimed to promote economic activity, it also
wanted to prevent the spread of infections, and that the "balance
depends on the situation in each region".
Japan has not seen the kind of massive outbreaks that have hit the
United States and parts of Europe, but infections have worsened as
winter has set in, particularly in regions such as the northern
island of Hokkaido and the city of Osaka.
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The country recorded more than 3,000 new infections for the first time in one
day on Saturday and Tokyo, Japan's largest city, confirmed 621 new cases.
Tokyo has asked bars and restaurants to close by 10 p.m. during a three-week
period that ends this week. Governor Yuriko Koike is set to extend this period,
Kyodo News reported.
Over the weekend, polls found public support for Suga had eroded over his
handling of the pandemic. A Mainichi newspaper poll on Saturday had his approval
rating at 40%, a 17 percentage point fall from last month, while his disapproval
rating exceeded his approval rating for the first time.
Only three months in office after his predecessor Shinzo Abe abruptly resigned
due to ill health, Suga has also come under pressure because of other
controversies, including his rejection of scholars on a science advisory panel.
(Reporting by Ju-min Park, Tetsushi Kajimoto and Takashi Umekawa; Editing by
Antoni Slodkowski, Himani Sarkar and Richard Pullin)
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