Japan asks US military forces to stay on base as COVID-19 cases surge

A Japanese foreign minister asked that members of the U.S. military remain on their bases to prevent the spread of COVID-19 as the nation deals with a surge. 

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi spoke on the phone about the safety measures ahead of Hayashi’s request on Thursday, according to The Associated Press. 

Blinken promised the U.S. would provide as much help as possible and that the U.S. military is already stepping up its protocols to combat the spread of the virus. 

Regardless of vaccination status, all military personnel in Japan must remain masked until they have received three negative COVID-19 tests. This new policy is in addition to an earlier rule requiring that everyone be masked when off base, the AP reported. 

“The mitigation measures we have instituted throughout USFJ are intended to protect our force’s readiness, the well-being of our families, and the health of Japan’s citizens. We recognize we all have a part to play in keeping our communities safe,” U.S. Forces in Japan said, according to the AP.

Areas like Okinawa and Iwakuni in southern Japan, where large groups of American forces are based, have seen notable spikes in COVID-19 infections, the wire service added.

The Coronavirus Resource Center at Johns Hopkins University indicated that the country saw just over 6,000 cases in the last week, notably less than the record high of 158,548 cases seen in a week during August of last year.

While Japan has never had a lockdown, it has imposed various restrictions in terms of hours of operation or limits on how many people a restaurant can serve, but those measures were ended in September, the AP noted.