Tokyo urges caution, not changing rules as Omicron cases crop up

TOKYO • The Japanese government is not considering an immediate change to Covid-19 restrictions, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said yesterday, a day after community transmission of the Omicron variant was discovered in the country.

The government confirmed on Wednesday that a family of three in the western city of Osaka had been infected by the Omicron variant and the origin of how they had caught the virus could not be traced.

And yesterday, the governor of neighbouring Kyoto prefecture said a community infection was confirmed in a woman in her 20s, with the authorities investigating seven of her close contacts.

The government is preparing to expand free testing to people who do not have Covid-19 symptoms in an attempt to prevent the spread of the Omicron variant, news agency Jiji reported yesterday, citing unnamed government sources.

Dr Shigeru Omi, the nation's top health adviser, urged caution before people travel or gather with family and friends during the holiday season.

"Now that the Omicron strain has been confirmed as a community-acquired infection, there are concerns that it may spread further, so please be cautious when holding year-end or New Year's parties," he told reporters.

However, Dr Omi dismissed the possibility of a vast outbreak across the country.

With its borders effectively closed off to new foreign visitors, most of the nation's cases have come from travellers and have been discovered through airport testing, with total cases of the variant surpassing 100 for the first time on Wednesday, according to local media.

Japan has banned new entries by foreigners globally since Nov 30 and extended the measure until early next year amid uncertainty over the Omicron variant.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said his government is fully prepared for the spread of the strain. "Using the time we bought through strengthened border control, we have accelerated efforts to enhance the process of prevention, testing, and early treatment," he said at a gathering in Tokyo.

Mr Kishida also said he has led efforts to secure enough hospital beds and hotel rooms for Covid-19 cases as well as strengthened cooperation among medical institutions

REUTERS, BLOOMBERG, XINHUA