Japan reinstates some COVID restrictions as US troops blamed for spike in infections

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Tokyo – Japan announced Friday that it is reinstating COVID-19 restrictions in three states, or prefectures, as the country grapples with its sixth wave of coronavirus infections, spurred by the Omicron variant. The new “quasi-state of emergency” was due to take effect on January 9 and last at least until the end of the month, mainly urging bars and restaurants to close early.

Local leaders in affected areas blame US troops based in Japan for a huge spike in cases.

Thanks to some of the world’s toughest border restrictions and near-universal mask use, Japan had managed to keep the Omicron variant under control and cases low. But in recent days, infections have increased in areas that host US military bases, including Okinawa, as US troops – who had been exempt from strict Japanese entry requirements – returned from vacation to the States. United.

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After recording just a handful of cases in December, Okinawa surpassed 1,400 infections this week alone.

Okinawa Governor Denny Tamaki, who has long called for a reduction in the US military presence on his island, blamed US troops for the COVID surge.

The US military command in Japan has so far resisted calls, including from the country’s foreign minister, for base lockdowns, instead adopting mandatory masks and ordering troops to follow Japanese travel rules. overseas, which means US troops must now test and quarantine upon entering the country, like everyone else.

Japan was counting on its strict border controls to keep the pandemic at bay for another month, but the sudden spike around US bases apparently caught Tokyo off guard and left leaders scrambling to find solutions.

U.S. Marines line up to get the Moderna coronavirus vaccine at Camp Hansen April 28, 2021 in Kin, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. Carl Court / Getty

The measures reimposed on Okinawa, an island in southern Japan, and the western prefectures of Hiroshima and Yamaguchi, represent the first return to restrictions in Japan since September, when authorities lifted controls that were in place across the country. country for a year.

The Omicron variant has been detected in around 80% of prefectures in Japan, and the number of new infections across the country is expected to exceed 5,000 on Friday, compared to a daily average last month of just around 200 cases.

“We must prepare for the rapid spread of the infection,” Health Minister Shigeyuki Goto told reporters on Friday, citing Omicron’s advance. “There are cases where there is no history of travel abroad and the route of infection is unknown, while the Delta strain also continues to spread.”

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