By CAITLIN DOORNBOS | STARS AND STRIPES Published: January 19, 2021
Stars and Stripes is making stories on the coronavirus pandemic available free of charge. See other free reports here. Sign up for our daily coronavirus newsletter here. Please support our journalism with a subscription. YOKOSUKA NAVAL BASE, Japan – A Defense Department high school on Okinawa closed its doors this week after three “members of our Kubasaki High School family” tested positive for the coronavirus over the long holiday weekend, principal James Strait said in a Facebook post Monday. “In accordance with public health’s guidance, a negative COVID test will be required for all students to return to school on Monday, Jan. 25,” he said in the post, referring to the respiratory disease caused by the virus.
By JOSEPH DITZLER | STARS AND STRIPES Published: December 23, 2020 TOKYO – U.S. military commands in Japan reported 13 new cases of coronavirus as of 6 p.m. Wednesday, the eve of a four-day federal holiday. Japan reported 2,135 new cases on Tuesday, the most recent data available, according to the World Health Organization. In Tokyo, the metropolitan government reported 748 people tested positive Wednesday for the virus, the second highest daily total thus far, according to public broadcaster NHK. The city reported its highest one-day pandemic total, 821, on Dec. 17, according to metro government data. South Korea, like Japan experiencing a record-breaking surge in new coronavirus patients, on Tuesday reported 1,092 new patients and 17 deaths due to COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the virus.
By ERICA EARL | STARS AND STRIPES Published: December 23, 2020
Stars and Stripes is making stories on the coronavirus pandemic available free of charge. See other free reports here. Sign up for our daily coronavirus newsletter here. Please support our journalism with a subscription. Commanders at U.S. military bases in Japan are urging service members, civilian employees and their families to keep their holiday festivities at home to avoid spreading the coronavirus. U.S. commanders toughened up restrictions while reminding their people of basic measures as a record surge in new coronavirus cases swept across Japan, especially Tokyo, in the past 1 ½ months.
By ERICA EARL | STARS AND STRIPES Published: December 18, 2020
Stars and Stripes is making stories on the coronavirus pandemic available free of charge. See other free reports here. Sign up for our daily coronavirus newsletter here. Please support our journalism with a subscription. TOKYO – Some U.S. military bases in Japan are providing coronavirus screenings for service members, their families and civilian employees heading home for the holidays, and beyond. Medical centers at Naval Air Facility Atsugi, Sasebo Naval Base, Yokota Air Base and Kadena Air Base are offering the tests, which some U.S. states require prior to entry. While tests are free for active-duty service members, there may be fees for civilians, contractors and retirees based on each installation’s policy.
By JOSEPH DITZLER | STARS AND STRIPES Published: December 18, 2020
Stars and Stripes is making stories on the coronavirus pandemic available free of charge. See other free reports here. Sign up for our daily coronavirus newsletter here. Please support our journalism with a subscription. TOKYO – The key U.S. naval base in the Western Pacific reported 29 new coronavirus cases Friday, a day after the commander there warned of potentially hundreds being quarantined over the holidays. Yokosuka Naval Base, homeport of the 7th Fleet, said 29 people had tested positive for the virus since Tuesday, bringing the number of patients under observation there to 65, according to a base news release.