Masaki Ogushi, the Cabinet Office vice minister responsible for consumer affairs, acknowledged signing a “policy pact” with an organization affiliated with the Unification Church but denied receiving any election support from the group.
Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga meets with representatives of various medical associations on Aug. 3. (Koichi Ueda)
Ruling coalition lawmakers have joined calls for the government to scrap its plan to limit hospital treatment for only the most serious COVID-19 cases and instruct other infected patients to recover at home.
A joint committee of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party dealing with the pandemic met on Aug. 4 and decided to ask the government to retract the proposal.
Earlier, a member of junior coalition partner Komeito made a similar request to Norihisa Tamura, the health minister.
“It is inconceivable that patients with moderate symptoms who require oxygen inhalation should be resting at home,” Komeito lawmaker Michiyo Takagi said on Aug. 4. “I want this proposal to be re-examined, including consideration that it be retracted.”
Shigeru Omi, chairman of the government panel of experts dealing with the novel coronavirus pandemic, meets with reporters on May 21 after the panel approved including Okinawa Prefecture under the state of emergency. (Ryo Kato)
Health experts are cautioning against lifting an already extended state of emergency at the end of the month, putting the government in a tight corner as it confronts having to make final preparations for the Tokyo Olympics in late July while curbs remain in place.
Restrictions are due to stay until May 31 unless the government heeds the advice and decides on an extension.
The panel of experts advising the government on measures to deal with the pandemic approved including Okinawa Prefecture under the state of emergency from May 23 until June 20.
Seiko Hashimoto, the Tokyo Olympic organizing committee head, center, and Tamayo Marukawa, the state minister in charge of the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games, right, attend an online meeting in Tokyo on April 28 with Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike and Thomas Bach, the International Olympic Committee president, shown on the video monitors. (Pool)
The Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic organizing committee’s website calls on people to offer donations to support the event by saying, “Your support and encouragement will give a boost to the Tokyo 2020 Games.”
But the reality makes it difficult for people to offer support and encouragement to the Summer Games, scheduled to start in July and August, respectively.