TOKYO (Reuters) -A Japanese government panel put forward a request on Friday to declare quasi-emergency measures in three regions to stem a COVID-19 surge that some officials have linked to U.S. military bases in the country.
If approved by the government, it would mark the first such measures since September, when Japan lifted emergency controls that had prevailed over the country for most of last year.
The measures, affecting the southern prefecture of Okinawa and the western prefectures of Hiroshima and Yamaguchi, would last from Jan. 9 until the end of the month, Economy Minister Daishiro Yamagiwa told reporters.
Official approval is expected later on Friday after a meeting of health experts.
All three prefectures host bases for the U.S. military, which on Thursday announced stricter infection controls at Japan’s urging.
Governors of the prefectures had requested the quasi-emergency steps, which include limited opening hours for bars and restaurants, after seeing a surge in coronavirus cases, driven by the infectious Omicron variant.
(Reporting by Rocky Swift; Editing by Christian Schmollinger and Raju Gopalakrishnan)
