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TOKYO: Japan’s prime minister on Monday (December 14) urged citizens to reconsider their vacation travel plans and suspended a controversial domestic tourism campaign as the country battles a record number of coronavirus infections.
Yoshihide Suga also promised more support for medical workers and institutions overwhelmed by the country’s third wave of cases, and promised more subsidies for restaurants and other struggling businesses.
Suga, who took office in September, has seen his approval ratings drop in recent weeks, in part because of his handling of the new wave of cases and his refusal to take calls to stop the Go To travel campaign.
But Monday night he changed course under increasing pressure, including from government medical advisers.
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“We have decided to take the strongest possible measures to stop the spread of infections … so that everyone can welcome the New Year in peace and quiet,” Suga told a special cabinet-level meeting on pandemic measures. .
He said the travel subsidy program would be suspended between December 28 and January 11, and that the suspension would take effect earlier for the worst-hit areas, including the capital Tokyo.
He also urged the public to reconsider plans to visit relatives during the Christmas season.
“I ask (the public) to carefully reconsider travel plans to return to their home cities. I ask for your help so that we can all have a peaceful and quiet New Year,” he said.
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The call came as Japan sees an increase in infections – around 3,000 new cases a day – and doctors and nurses warn they are overwhelmed.
A survey by national broadcaster NHK found that 81 percent of those surveyed had no plans to travel or visit their parents during the New Years period, traditionally a busy travel time in Japan.
Japan has been less affected than many countries, with 177,960 infections and 2,584 deaths registered since the first case in January, and has avoided the strict lockdowns seen elsewhere.
With cases falling over the summer, the government launched campaigns to encourage travel and eating out, but these have come under fire as infections rose, reaching daily records.
The cabinet’s approval rating has plunged 17 points in the past month to 40 percent, according to an opinion poll published Sunday by the Mainichi Shimbun newspaper.
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