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 Three prefectures that host U.S. bases have requested
quasi-emergency measures as Japan faces what some are calling a
sixth wave of coronavirus infections, with cases in some places at
their highest in months. One official has blamed U.S. military
personnel for spreading the Omicron variant.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said on Thursday that a
decision on the quasi-emergency measures would be made on Friday
after consultations with experts.
U.S. Forces Japan said that due to an increase in COVID-19 cases at
installations and throughout Japan, it was establishing more
stringent measures, including requiring personnel to wear masks off
base and stricter testing.
"The mitigation measures we have instituted...are intended to
protect our force's readiness, the well-being of our families, and
the health of Japan's citizens," the force said in a statement.
"We recognise we all have a part to play in keeping our communities
safe."
More than 100,000 U.S. service members, dependents and contractors
are stationed in Japan.
Earlier, Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi asked U.S. Secretary of
State Antony Blinken for restrictions on U.S. service members from
leaving their bases, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno told
reporters.
Matsuno said Japan was "gravely concerned" about COVID-19 infections
at U.S. bases.
Kishida told reporters that he had told Hayashi to request further
steps from the U.S. military when he and Defence Minister Nobuo
Kishi talk via video with their U.S. counterparts on Friday in
"two-plus-two" consultations.
"I've instructed the foreign minister to take advantage of the
two-plus-two meeting and to firmly ask the U.S. side to take strict
(anti-infection) measures swiftly," he said.
Nationwide, new infections hit 4,475 on Thursday, according to
national broadcaster NHK, the most since Sept. 18.
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 Tokyo reported 690 cases, up
from 390 on Wednesday, and an expert panel said
about 45% of infections in the capital were due
to Omicron. Japan's total death toll from the
pandemic stands at 18,397 people.
The southern prefecture of Okinawa, host to 70% of U.S. military
facilities in Japan, is at the epicentre of Japan's latest surge of
cases, and it asked the central government on Thursday to impose new
restrictions, which were likely to include limiting the opening
hours of restaurants and bars.
Announcing the request, Okinawa Governor Denny Tamaki said new cases
there were expected to surge to about 980 on Thursday from 623 the
day before.
Tamaki told reporters this week he was "furious" about what he
called inadequate infection controls at U.S. bases that allowed the
Omicron variant to spread to the public.
The western prefectures of Hiroshima and Yamaguchi, which also host
U.S. military facilities, said they would also request similar
measures. Various levels of emergency controls had been in place
over most of Japan last year until their lifting on Sept. 30.
Japan halted the entry of almost all foreign travellers in late
November after the World Health Organization listed Omicron as a
variant of concern.
But the U.S. military moves staff in and out under a separate
testing and quarantine regime.
A U.S. Marine Corps station in Yamaguchi prefecture said on Thursday
it discovered 115 new cases, after 182 announced the previous day.
(Reporting by Rocky Swift, Elaine Lies and Kiyoshi Takenaka; Editing
by Angus MacSwan and Kim Coghill)
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