Is the Omicron strain spreading from a US base in Okinawa? The governor is about to request a halt to troop transfers, 186 Covid-19 infections in the US Military. (21de21)

The new Omicron strain of Covid-19 has been confirmed among infected base workers and others from the US Military Camp Hansen one after another.

In response, Governor Denny Tamaki, on 20 December, announced that he will confer by telephone on the morning of 21 December with the coordinator of  the four US forces in Okinawa, Marine Commanding General Lieutenant General James W. Bierman Jr. and Deputy Foreign Minister Kiyoshi Odawara. He will request that exits from Camp Hansen be prohibited and transfers from the US halted. Governor Tamaki explained, “I have an opinion from National Institute of Infectious Disease experts that they fear Omicron strain infections within the bases will spread widely.”


The  4 items to be discussed will be that: (1) transfers of military people and their dependents from the US or elsewhere cease, (2) PCR exams be carried out on all military and military dependents, (3) the level of the health care system of US forces in Okinawa be raised and all military working at Camp Hansen and their dependents be prohibited from leaving base, (4) a system for detecting variations in strains be implemented as soon as possible.

 

In addition, Governor Tamaki plans to be in Tokyo from 23 to 24 December with the Prefectural Military Land Return Promotion and Base Problem Cooperation Committee to make an emergency request to the National Government. From 22-24 December, the Prefecture will set up a temporary PCR exam site within the town of Kin to carry out exams on bar and restaurant workers around the Camp Hansen base.

　

As border measures against the Omicron strain, the National Government has been carrying out the prohibition of foreigners from entering the country. However, based on the Japan US Status of Forces Agreement concerning US Military personnel, it is possible to come from the US directly into a US Military  installation in Japan. Now it seems that in the recent week there were 186 infected troops among the US Military stationed in Okinawa.


Governor Tamaki explained that the 4th wave of infection from the Omicron strain has been confirmed in the prefecture. He stressed, “If the Omicron strain spreads widely beginning with workers from the base and surrounding civilians, it will threaten the physical and mental health of our  prefecture’s people. It will invite a situation like turning our efforts and concerns up till now into worthless bubbles. There’s no way we can ever ignore this.”


Original Japanese article: Ryukyu Shimpo, published Tuesday 21 December 2021 at 06:24. Byline: Masaaki (=正覚?) Umeda

https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/10b456c94e3e34c297cd1a99efe51ec92f5e3b1f


Translator’s note:

Denny in the News: news about Okinawan Governor Denny Tamaki.

Denny Tamaki is the governor of Okinawa Prefecture in Japan. Although Okinawa is important as an international tourist destination and a key element in strategic US Military Forces, its governor receives very little coverage in the Japanese press and almost none in the English language media. 

  1. This blog hopes to  translate one news article a day on the governor.  It is unsponsored and unauthorized. The translator simply hopes to improve his skills and perhaps give the governor an English speaking audience. 

  2. Any suggestion on improving the translation will be gratefully accepted. However, please leave political comments for another forum.

  3. Where they occur, words and phrases in Ryukyuan (the Okinawan language) are rendered in italics and translated in parentheses. Names  whose readings are uncertain are rendered as Name (=Kanji?) as in Nagayuki (=長行?). Any corrections in such instances would be gratefully appreciated.

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