World Insights: In policy speech, Japan's PM vows to stand on "frontline" of COVID-19 battle

2021-01-18 16:36:17 GMT2021-01-19 00:36:17(Beijing Time) Xinhua English

by Jon Day

TOKYO, Jan. 18 (Xinhua) -- Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga on Monday vowed to be on the "frontline" of tackling the novel coronavirus pandemic under a state of emergency issued for 11 prefectures including Tokyo, the hardest-hit by the virus, among Japan's 47 prefectures.

In a policy speech delivered by Suga on the first day of the regular Diet session, the Japanese leader doubled-down on his determination to fight the spread of COVID-19 and pledged to bring the crisis under control "as soon as possible."

FRONTLINE BATTLE

With the COVID-19 infection rate showing no real signs of abating in recent days, Suga said the government was sparing no efforts to initially get a grip on the situation and then to bring it under control.

The prime minister said to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus, which on Sunday saw almost 6,000 new cases reported nationwide, the government is taking "effective measures."

Sunday's update brought Japan's cumulative infections to above 330,000, with the death toll surpassing 4,500.

Such measures include requesting bars and restaurants to shorten their hours of business, people to conduct their business remotely and work from home and for the public to refrain from making unnecessary outdoor trips.

"I will stand on the frontline of this battle against the virus and with the people's help, I am resolved to overcome this difficult situation," the prime minister said.

Suga will need to make good on his vows amid a circumspect public who in recent polls voiced some discontent over the speed of which the Suga administration has rolled out measures to battle Japan's third wave of COVID-19 infections.

Opposition parties have also taken aim at the government's perceived dithering in implementing new and effective measures to combat the resurgent virus.

"This is a once-in-a-century crisis, yet I don't get any sense of urgency from the prime minister's speech," Yukio Edano, leader of the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, was quoted as telling reporters Monday.

FURTHER STEPS

Medical experts have also warned recently that more may need to be done for the sake of the entire system not becoming completely overwhelmed and buckling.

On Thursday, Shigeru Omi, head of the Japanese government's subcommittee on the pandemic, said that if the number of COVID-19 cases remains flat or is reduced only slightly, then "stronger measures will be needed."

Omi's remarks made during an upper house committee meeting came a day after the Japanese government expanded its state of emergency to cover 11 prefectures nationwide.

Omi had said that the shorter operating hours at bars and restaurants is effective to some extent, but argued that "reducing hours alone is not enough to curb infections."

"The most important thing now is to refrain from going out, both day and night," Omi said.

Japan's minister in charge of the coronavirus response, Yasutoshi Nishimura, meanwhile, said that the virus emergency could be expanded yet further, depending on how effective the latest expansion proves to be.

But perhaps the biggest concern to both the government and the public is a fear of the medical system completely caving in.

"Medical systems are already collapsing all over Japan," President of the Japan Medical Association Toshio Nakagawa said, warning that taking measures after all data overshoot benchmarks would be "too late."

Nakagawa also said that as the medical system becomes increasingly overwhelmed, some hospitals have been forced to turn away patients.

During a meeting of a panel of experts and the Tokyo metropolitan government recently, one expert said the situation in Tokyo had become so serious that the number of new cases is starting to exceed capacity at hospitals and other designated facilities.

"To prevent the healthcare system in Tokyo from collapsing, it is vitally important to reduce the number of new infections, and in particular, the number of serious cases," said the expert.

SILVER BULLETS

As with a number of other country's around the world, Japan is gearing up to roll out coronavirus vaccinations, with Suga saying that preparations are being made for this to begin in late February.

Suga has said that he will "set an example" by taking the vaccine himself, in a bid to quell any concerns about the safety or efficacy of the jabs.

During the 150-day parliamentary session, Suga's government is aiming to pass revised legislation making it possible to punish individuals and businesses that refuse to comply with requests made under the virus emergency declaration -- an additional silver bullet in the chamber in the ongoing battle against the virus.

The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare late last week discussed a revision to the infectious disease law that would make it possible to penalize people testing positive for COVID-19 but refusing hospitalization.

People who do not cooperate with the ministry's contact tracing efforts could also face hefty fines or prison terms.

The special measures law on the coronavirus may also be revised to enable the government to fine businesses that fail to comply with its requests to shorten their opening hours or shutter their businesses temporarily.

Amid continued concerns over the pandemic, however, both on the domestic and international fronts, made worse by the detection of multiple virus variants thought to be highly transmissible, the 72-year-old leader vowed to continue preparations to host the once-postponed Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics this summer.

Suga said the quadrennial Games will serve as "proof that humanity defeated the coronavirus," and an opportunity to showcase the nation's recovery from the 2011 earthquake, tsunami and Fukushima nuclear disasters.

GREEN MACHINES

On the prime minister's efforts for the nation to achieve carbon neutrality, or net zero emissions of carbon dioxide, by 2050, Suga said that the government would seek investment from the private sector both at home and abroad to fund green technologies and innovation.

As Japan hustles to keep up with some other nations' efforts to make all cars electrified, Japan has said its new car sales by 2035 will be comprised of only electric cars, hybrids, plug-in hybrids and fuel cell vehicles.

In December, the government announced a hefty additional stimulus package with 2 trillion yen (19.27 billion U.S. dollars) earmarked to create a fund for firms developing next-generation green technologies.

In addition, Suga has pledged to, before the United Nations climate change conference in November, reveal an "ambitious" new goal for reductions in Japan's greenhouse gas emissions.

ROCKY RELATIONS

On foreign policy issues, Suga underscored the importance Japan attaches to multilateralism and reiterated Japan's long-held commitment to the notion that Japan's alliance with the United States serves as a foundation of the country's diplomatic and security policy.

The Japanese leader also said that he hopes to meet with U.S. President-elect Joe Biden as soon as possible.

But while relations with some of Japan's closest neighbors have shown definitive signs of improvement of late, those with others have soured considerably.

Suga said that relations with South Korea are in an "extremely difficult situation," owing to recent contretemps connected to a South Korean court ruling.

The disputed ruling ordered the Japanese government to pay damages to former "comfort women," a euphemism for the thousands of girls and women, many from the Korean Peninsula, forced by the Imperial Japanese Army to work as sex slaves at military brothels during World War II. Enditem

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