Japan Press Weekly

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2020 August 5 - 11 [POLITICS]

JCP Koike: 'Go To travel' campaign has no mechanism to find out about campaign-induced COVID-19

Japanese Communist Party Secretariat Head Koike Akira on August 5 cited the fact that several COVID-19 cases were confirmed at Nagano and Okinawa hotels amid the "Go To travel" campaign, and demanded an immediate halt to the campaign.

Appearing on the BS-TBS program, "Hodo 1930", Koike criticized the central government for carrying on the campaign despite new infections spreading rapidly throughout the country.

A COVID-19 infection came to light on July 31 at a tourist hotel in Nagano Prefecture. The local government and the hotel soon made this public. However, according to Koike, the Japan Tourism Agency did not have a detailed picture, not even the name of the hotel, until a joint hearing of opposition parties was held on August 5. He said, "I was too shocked to speak."

In connection with the "Go To travel" campaign, 6 other COVID-19 cases were found at a resort hotel in Okinawa as well.

Koike said, "There is no system for the Japan Tourism Agency to communicate with local healthcare centers regarding cases where someone contracted the novel coronavirus at local accommodation facilities," adding, "If no measure is taken, the epidemic will further spread."

He continued to say, "The central government at first explained, 'The Go To travel campaign will start after the COVID-19 contagion is brought under control.' However, the crisis situation still remains."

Koike said that people's movements are, no doubt, spreading infections, and demanded, "The 1.7-tillion-yen campaign which encourages people to travel from one prefecture to another should be cancelled without delay, and the money should be used to increase the capacity of PCR tests."

Past related articles:
> Shii demands postponement of 'Go To Travel' campaign [July 18, 2020]
> Opposition parties to push gov’t to put ‘Go To Travel Campaign’ on back burner [July 16, 2020]