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TOKYO: Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga may further restrict a highly criticized travel subsidy program in a bid to contain rising coronavirus infections as his approval rating plummets on handling the pandemic.
Suga will chair a meeting on the coronavirus late on Monday (December 14) to discuss plans regarding the travel campaign, the prime minister’s office said.
It is expected to halt the travel campaign to the capital Tokyo and the city of Nagoya in the large industrial center of Aichi prefecture, local media reported.
The governors of Tokyo and Aichi, which includes the city of Nagoya, have said they are in talks with the central government to decide whether to suspend programs in the regions.
READ: Japan urges a ‘quiet’ end of the year, but to maintain the tourism campaign
The “Go To Travel” campaign, which aims to boost regional economies and help hotels and airlines, has helped stimulate tourism demand, government spokesman Katsunobu Kato said at a press conference.
But while the government aims to promote economic activity, it also wants to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, Kato added. “That balance depends on the situation in each region,” he said, without elaborating.
Despite experts’ concerns that the travel campaign could help spread the virus, Suga has insisted that no immediate consideration is being given to stopping the entire campaign.
Local media reported cuts to the travel campaign on Sunday, while Osaka Governor Hirofumi Yoshimura said on Saturday that he had asked the government to extend the suspension of the tourism program imposed on the Osaka region.
While Japan hasn’t seen the kind of massive outbreaks that have hit the United States and parts of Europe, infections have worsened with the onset of winter, particularly in regions like the northern island of Hokkaido and the city of Osaka.
The country recorded more than 3,000 new infections for the first time in a day on Saturday and Tokyo, Japan’s capital and largest city, confirmed 621 new cases.
Tokyo has asked bars and restaurants to close at 10 p.m. for a three-week period ending this week. Governor Yuriko Koike is set to extend this term, Kyodo News reported.
READ: COVID-19: The governor of Tokyo will ask for moderation in travel during the next holidays
The government of Japan has stopped the travel campaign in only two most affected areas.
“If the economy breaks down, then it can become a serious problem,” Suga said during an online town hall on Friday.
Over the weekend, polls found that public support for the prime minister has been eroded by his handling of the pandemic. A Mainichi newspaper poll on Saturday lowered his approval rating to 40 percent, a 17 percent drop from last month, as the disapproval rate surpassed his approval rating for the first time.
Just three months in office after his predecessor Shinzo Abe abruptly resigned due to health problems, Suga has also come under pressure due to other controversies, including his rejection of academics on a scientific advisory panel.
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