Japan: Quasi-emergency Starts in 3 Areas over Hike in COVID-19

Japan imposed quasi-emergency COVID-19 measures in three prefectures on Sunday to stem a surge in Covid-19 cases.

The governors believe that the increasing cases are a result of the spread of the Omicron variant at U.S. military bases.

On his part, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Japan had largely agreed with the United States to place a curfew on U.S. military personnel.

In addition, they vowed to step up efforts such as increasing the pace of third-dose booster shots to minimize the impact of another wave of infections.

The quasi-state of emergency shall be in effect until Jan. 31 in Okinawa and parts of Yamaguchi and Hiroshima.

It comes following a cluster of infections at the U.S. Marine Corps' Camp Hansen in Okinawa and a sharp increase in COVID-19 cases at a different base in the western prefecture of Yamaguchi, which is adjacent to Hiroshima, according to local officials. Now, health experts believe the outbreaks have spilled into nearby areas and beyond.

Meanwhile, all of Okinawa Prefecture, which reported a record number of new COVID-19 cases for the third day in a row on Saturday, will be under the quasi-emergency, while only certain municipalities will be subject to it in Yamaguchi, which hosts a U.S. Marines air base in Iwakuni, and in Hiroshima.

"As a result of discussions with the U.S. side, we have reached a broad agreement not to allow unnecessary outings" by U.S. service personnel, Kishida said on an NHK television program. "We are now working out details."