TOKYO – An outbreak of coronavirus cases at United States military bases in Okinawa, Japan has alarmed the island’s local population, who have at times disagreed with Americans stationed there and have otherwise succeeded in limiting Covid-19.
The U.S. Marine Corps, which has about 20,000 soldiers stationed on the island, reported 94 confirmed cases to the prefecture government and said it had instituted strict measures at all 33 facilities in the region.
Denny Tamaki, the governor of Okinawa, said he was surprised by the number of infections and said it was “extremely regrettable” that so many cases had arisen between US troops and affiliated personnel in less than a week. Excluding American cases, Okinawa has registered only 148 infections since February.
Mr. Tamaki added that he had “strong doubts” about the prevention measures reported by the United States.
Japan, which has been relatively successful in containing the virus, has also seen a recent surge in new cases concentrated in Tokyo, where a state of emergency was lifted in late May. Tokyo reported two consecutive days of record daily infections last week, with a large number of cases among people in their 20s and 30s working or visiting places in Tokyo’s nightlife districts.
The United States Army in South Korea also announced Monday that 11 troops had tested positive on their arrival from the United States. The US military has struggled with outbreaks among its troops, with a significant group of infections in March on the aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt.
The Japanese military, by contrast, has reported only 14 cases among its defense forces, all of which are believed to have contracted the virus in their communities rather than being deployed.
The Okinawa cases are a new tension in relations between the military and local government, where the presence of US bases, dating from the end of World War II, has been a constant source of friction. Citizens have long complained about noise, crime, and plane crashes, and have repeatedly wondered why nearly half of the 55,000 US troops in Japan, which include personnel from all military branches, are stationed in Okinawa. .
One of the bases where several recent coronavirus cases have been recorded, the Futenma Marine Corps Air Station, is the subject of a contentious plan to relocate base operations from central Okinawa to a less populated coastal area where construction is underway.
The Japanese central government considers the foundations essential to the country’s security, and many citizens and businesses in Okinawa welcome troops as customers and neighbors.
When news of infections first emerged from the grassroots, both the governor and the Okinawa prefecture assembly demanded more information from the Marine Corps on the number of cases, annoying Okinawa officials and residents that they feared that they might have unknowingly contacted the infected troops. .
“When something like this happens, when the military does not provide essential information about how many people are infected or where they are or where they have been off base, the people of Okinawa are really scared, frustrated and disappointed,” he said. Manabu Sato, professor of political science at Okinawa International University, which dominates the Futenma Marine Corps Air Station.
“I am afraid,” said Tomonari Kiyuna, a Worker at a noodle shop in Chatan, an Okinawa neighborhood frequented by American soldiers. “We are very careful, we wear masks, we wash our hands and disinfect,” said Kiyuna. “I want them to release the information. They are American but they stay in Okinawa, Japan. Okinawans or Japanese have a right to know “about base-derived infections.
Yoshihide Suga, chief cabinet secretary to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, said at a press conference that the government “had received the necessary information from the United States side, such as the number of infected personnel and affected facilities.”
Governor Tamaki said he was concerned that soldiers had spread infections during the July 4 celebrations. “There is information that United States Forces personnel went out to the nightlife districts and had beach parties outside the bases on July 4,” Tamaki said. in a statement on Saturday. He asked that the military stop transferring new troops from the United States, where case numbers are increasing.
Under the measures instituted over the weekend, all American troops and families in Okinawa are prohibited from leaving the base without the approval of the commanders. They cannot visit restaurants, including takeaways, travel on public transportation, use child care facilities, or exercise off-base. Futenma and Camp Hansen, where the highest number of cases have been reported, are effectively locked up, US officials said.
Across Japan, all troops and families arriving from the United States must be quarantined for 14 days, said Colonel Robert A. Firman, director of public affairs for the US Forces in Japan.
“That measure will continue for the foreseeable future,” said Colonel Firman. “Installation commanders also have the discretion to increase protective measures based on local conditions, and that is what we are seeing in Okinawa.”
Colonel Firman said military personnel should also wear masks at most base facilities, implement social distancing, and limit the size of any gathering. Maj. Kenneth Kunze, a spokesman for the Marines in Okinawa, said: “Extensive follow-up of contacts is ongoing to identify and isolate those who may have been in contact with infected personnel. Anyone on or off base identified as being has been in contact with an infected or suspected infected person will be notified. “
One of Okinawa’s largest hospitals, Chubu Hospital, has offered free tests to anyone who is concerned that they have been exposed to the virus. So far, the hospital has evaluated 130 people since the news of the base outbreaks.
In a Facebook post, Yoshihiro Takayama, a doctor in the Chubu Hospital Infectious Diseases and Public Health department, warned against blaming the military for the spread of the virus.
“People tend to misunderstand that service personnel in the United States spread the virus as there were many cases found among them, “Dr. Takayama wrote.” But I don’t think so. They are supposed to have been infected on July 4, at Judging by the confirmed date. But who was infected is still unknown, as epidemiological information is not shared. They could have been infected by contact with Japanese residents or service personnel. There are supposed to be multiple routes, but we should not have preconceived ideas. “
He added that people “visited many bars, danced shoulder to shoulder in groups and shared bottles of wine,” including US military personnel and local residents.
In Chatan, where there are many bars frequented by Americans, companies noticed a slowdown as the base locks went into effect. “We saw a big drop in customers yesterday, especially in Americans,” said Itaru Maeshiro, owner of the Transit Cafe, where about a third of repeat customers are US military.
At a sushi shop in Chatan, chef Kazuya Kaneshi said strict closing measures were difficult for businesses. “But we don’t want infections at the same time,” he said. “If infections spread across Okinawa, it will be a big problem.”
Hisako Ueno contributed reporting.
