Japan’s Kishida says virus measures, defense top priorities

Kishida reiterated his plan to keep Japan’s stringent border controls in place, banning most foreign entrants until the end of February, while the country tries to speed up COVID-19 vaccine booster shots and reinforce its medical system to support an increasing number of patients being monitored or treated at home.

The highly transmissible omicron variant has driven infections higher and started to paralyze medical and public services in some areas as more people are forced to self-isolate. Japan last week trimmed its 14-day quarantine period to 10 days.

Kishida urged companies to promote remote work, and called on schools to make flexible use of online classes. Booster shots began last month with medical workers and so far less than 1% of the population has had their third dose.

Japan recently cut the waiting period between second and third shots for elderly people to six months from eight. In part because of a shortage of imported vaccines, most younger Japanese are not expected to get their turn until March.

In his speech, Kishida also addressed what he said was an “increasingly severe and complex” regional situation. “I’m determined to protect the people’s lives and daily life,” he vowed.

North Korea’s repeated test-firings of ballistic missiles “are absolutely not permissible and we should not overlook its significant progress in missile technology,” Kishida said.